Our Stratford Page

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 244, 15 April 1912, Page 3

Our Stratford Page

SOME ASTONISHING STATEMENTS.

Speaking to the toast of the "Dairy Industry" at Manaia the other night, Mr. H. Greville, editor of the Dairyman, remarked that what was needed in this country was for the Government i* lead the way in instructing farmers in the economic production of butterfat. He quoted an instance of a man in South Taranaki who, keeping 24 cows on 32 acres of ground, made £352 from the sale of butterfat, exclusive of the byproducts of the fara). Whilst that was undoubtedly better than the average it was not actually a good performance. It meant keeping a cow on 11-3 acres, but the world's record for keeping a cow was that of an English gaoler, who kept his cow on a quarter of an acre enclosed by the gaol walls. He urged the Minister of Agriculture to take this matter up heartily, and to go further than has yet been done in the Dominion. Demonstrations of the most economical production of butterfat concerned every man in Taranaki, and the greater amount per acre the better for the farmer, of course. That there was great room for improvement was shown by the fact that, according to a carefully compiled return by the secretary of the Riverdale Co-operative Dairy Co. (South Taranaki) the best rate of production,, amongst the farmers supplying that concern wae at the rate of £2 12s per acre. Yet this other farmer whom he had quoted, and who supplied the Kaupokonui Company, made £ll 5s per acre per annum. He expressed the opinion, which was greeted with unbelieving laughter by many of his listeners, that when the farmers came to adopt the soiling system they would find it possible to ikeep two cowa to the acre, and to keep them better than they do now. They should have a State demonstration farm in Taranaki. He would suggest that the Government should take over a farm in the Uistrict and allow the farmer for the use of it at his usual rate of earning. If by his ordinary method of farming' the land was capable of earning for him £IOO or £IOOO, give it to him. Then the place should be farmed for experimental and demonstration purposes. By the adoption of the soiling system its productiveness would be doubled. Cows shoud not be allowed to wander all over the pastures as they did now, for it was known that by this system every third acre of grass was destroyed. That system was too crude, the crudest possible. Quite recently the director of one of the greatest agricultural institutions in the United States had conducted experiments in the grazing of cows. Four i sections were tried. The first was grazing pure and simple. From that he obtained a profit of half a sovereign. The | second system, ,part grazing and part soiling, gave him a profit of £SO. The! third system, with a greater proportion of soiling, returned a profit of £IOO, But the fourth system, that of soiling, returned a profit of no less than £B6O. The results of those demonstrations, said Mr. Greville, formed the most important document on dairy farming that had ever been printed in the English language, and the system that gave such remarkable results was what would have to be adopted in the high-priced Taranaki lands if high profits were to be made out of the industry.

Taking up another branch of his subject, Mr. Greville appealed strongly to the Hon. Thos. Mackenzie to have trained analysts appointed for the purpose t of arriving at the proper percentage ofj moisture in cheese, a fact which should j be known to every dairy factory manager, but which, under present ■circumstance*, it was not possible for him to know. The cheese exported from this country had for years been too dry. Analysts should be appointed and stationed in Taranaki, Auckland, and Southland, and such appointments would put mote" money into the dairy farmers' pockets than any other appointments that could be made. Incidentally, Mr. Greville remarked that since 1888 the dairying industry in New Zealand had been worth 313 tons weight of sovereigns. Another, and somewhat less pleasing ilustration, was provided a couple of days later in the Stratford S.M. Court, when a judgment debtor informed the magistrate that he had a farm of 227 acres, on which he milked 31 cows. His milk cheque last month was £22, and the best cheque this season was £3O. The Kaupokonui farmer was making over £ll per cow, but the farmer in question, milking near, Inglewood, will receive for his milk more like £5 per cow. On an acreage basis the man in the [south got over £ll per acre for the year, whilst in the other case the reI turn will be under £1 per year. There | is the possibility, of course, that the man ' on the lower-priced land makes other | uses of it, in which the acreage test j would not be a fair one, but the returns per cow can be fairly compared.

THE MAYORALTY There are no nominations for the mayoralty, but Cr. R. McK. Morison's invitation to the ratepayers to hear Ins views on municipal matters is tantamount to a declaration of his candidature. Asked if he had any intentions to communicate, Mr. Kirkwood said he fully intended to be one of the audience at Cr. Morison's Cr, Paget came up just then, a; : upon it being suggested to him that he wa- definitely "out" for mayoral honors, lie said that the man who knew whether or not he was standing knew more than he (Dr Paget) did. It is reported that at a meeting of the local No-License League on Friday night the matter of the mityj oral election cropped up, and it was decided that the league take no action at all iu the matter.

Tir.' "KILDREN'S BRIDGE. At Monday night's meeting the council will he asked to consider the matter of erecting a footbridge across the Patea river nt Orlando Street, principally for the convenience of children attending the Stratford district High School from the south end of the {own. Several hundreds of children come to school from south of (he bridge. These have all to come now into Broadwaj', thence across Victoria bridge, along Feiiton Street, crossing the railway lines, and into the school grounds in Juliet Street. Those of them who go home for lunch—and these are in the majority—have to ' cross the railway lines four times a day. and when going to school in the morning, and on leaving it in the afternoon, are very liable to meet incoming trains, for the morning h" ; ns cross at Stratford at ahout twnty 7'iimites to nine o'clock, and the afternoon trains cross here at i about three o'clock, generally a few minutes later. That there has been no serious accident to children at this railway I crowing is a matter for .wonder. That the parents of those children should have allowed the little 'ones to be subjected to that risk for so many yeara is another "inlter for wonder. Let

* * * from Our Resident Reporter. * <* Office: No, 3, York Chamberi, Stratford. * *. * ************* ft*****************

STRATFORD TOWN CLERK AND HIS SALARY •• To the Editor. Sir, —I notice by your paper that Mr. Sidney Ward, one of the members of the Stratford Borough Council, has given notice of motion that he will move at Monday night's meeting of the council that the clerk's salary be increased by £25 ]»er year, to take effect from the l6t prox. Now, sir, as it is not more than six months ago since applications were called for the position of town clerk, at a salary of £250 per annum, and considering that there were more than 80 applicants for the job, and some of the rejected ones were, to say the least, quite as capable as the successful applicant, I would like to know what is the meaning of Cr. Ward's little game. If the present town clerk is not satisfied, let him resign. There are plenty more who would be satisfied with the £250 and would prove quite as caapble in discharging the duties.- —I am, etc.. RATEPAYER.

some poor little mite get mangled beneath a railway engine, and the powers that be will rush into the breach and build a suspension bridge or a bridge of some other description to take the children's traffic. But is it necessary tw ibury someone's bright little boy or girl in order to have this matter forced on 'the attention of the people'* representatives? The school committee has made representations to the borough council, and some resolution will doubtless be arrived at on Monday night. There is another aspect of the question. Such a bridge would be of untold convenience to people generally. To reach the bowling green from a section across the river, distant by but a stone's throw, one has to walk about half a mile. One bowler who had -often crossed the stream from the south side to the green by means of stepping-stones, found the other day that the river was running a bit high. But, being a man of acts — and not finding words of much avail—he stripped off his hose and shoon and waded across. But that is not the point. The erection of a passenger bridge across the Patea river would put a value on to the land in the locality. Would it not pay the property owners there to put their hands in their pockets for half the cost?

GENERAL NEWS At the Domain Board meeting on Friday afternoon Mr Penn brought up the matter (mentioned recently in this column) o£ the necessity for providing) more seats in King Edward Park, and) particularly in sunny positions. He re-1 marked, in much the same terms as pre-1 viously complained by a visitor to J Stratford, that the seats were all placed I in shady spots, and that they were often | wet when wanted by visitors to the park ! He thought that when the access to Mil i park is improved, as promised by the' borough council, people might like to I visit the park on sunny afternoons in.l winter, and then the shady seats would J not be wanted. He moved that addition-1 al seats be provided, and placed in sunny positions outside the bush. Mr. R. Mori-! eon seconded, and the motion was carried. The chairman suggested that castiron seats, with wooden laths, be procured, but a member pointed out that owing to the number of mischievous people about the board would be taking ! a risk by expending money on iron seats, ! which would probably be thrown into the river. The safest thing to do, he said, was to spike a good plank to piles j sunk in the ground. The secretary mentioned that the police now kept an eye on the park, on account of complaints made that a gang of youths was in the habit of going up there and jumping and swinging on the suspension bridge. The board will visit the park and decide what Course to adopt. Several members of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce visited Kaponga on Friday evening, and were present at the banquet to the Hon. T. Mackenzie. It is understood that the matter of the Opunake railway was discussed by the district representatives present. Mr. W. P. Kirkwood, replying to the toast of "The Visitors," remarked that the bond of good feeling and sympathy which seemed always to have existed between Kaponga and Stratford would probably grow as Stratford became a great centre, Kaponga following suit, and certainly this feeling would grow "if it so happened that this sentiment were carried on a pair of 6teel rails." The Railway Department has agreed to stop the mail train at Midhirst on Monday morning for the convenience of those making the trip to the Moumahaki State Farm under the auspices of the Stratford A- and P. Association. About sixty farmers have arranged to go, and special carriage accommodation will be reserved for the party. The Stratford Boy Scouts marched boldly home to-day from Inglewood, in charge of Scoutmaster Rev. W. A. Butler. The boys have greatly enjoyed their excursion to New Plymouth. One or two of them looked as if the road had been inordinately long, but I know of many men, boasted athletes, too, who would not look nearly as fit at the end of a day's march. The Railway Department has acceded to the A. and P. Association's request for a special train from Te Wcra to Stratford, on Thursday, for the postponed gymkana.