PROSPECTS BRIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1914, Page 7

PROSPECTS BRIGHT.

• j IN DAIRY INDUSTRY, ' STKIKE WILL lIAYK NO LASTING i EFFFCT. 1 CLEARING CP THE CONGESTION. There have been many, prophecies that • the agricultural and pastoral industries [ l were going to receive a very serious set- ■ back owing to the recent industrial trou- ; hies. These have 'happily not been borne •out in all their pessimism. It is true that farmers who were in need of money 'have not been able to got it readily, but the financial stringency lias aU'ee.ted town and country alike. The country, it serins, is making a fine recovery from the troubled period, and this has been materially helped along by the fact t'-hat conditions 'in the dairying industry have, during the last few' weeks, been most favorable. With a view to discovering the actual slate of things as fill' ■as dairying is concerned, a Wellington Times reporter made some ini|iiiri.s in authoritative quarters the other day. The result may be summed up as follows: QUALITY KEEPS UP WELL. < , The quality of the dairy produce that has been shipped during' the last few weeks lias in np way suffered through the delays to which it was subJ jected at this end. Factories generally i have experienced difficulty in getting .1 their consignmwuts awav, and this rc- ' fcrs more particularly to cheese, which in few weeks ago caused much anxiety. Providence, however, was kind. While, there was a congestion at the various ■ wharves in the North Island the weather remained cool, and in no cast? was the J cheese reported to be heated to an exJ tent that would affect the 'quality. Had the wt atlier been 'hot, there would -have been considerable losses. As for butter, it was sent at once, to the coot stores, and fortunately, with an oven distribution, ther<i was ample accommodation. There was, of course, an aicumulation of stocks, but no shipment was reported as having been caused barm. SATISFACTORY SEASON.

The dairy season, contrary to being mined, as many predicted, is from a productive point of view very satisfactory. Tim output is large, and is being maintained well. All the facts go to show that tb'crc will be an increase in output over last year. Outside the inconvenience of factoriesnot being able to present shipping documents at the banks, so that they could have advances wherewith to pay the mifk-snppliers, the strike cannot be said to have resulted-in any serious loss to tbe dairy industry as a whole. In tlliis connection, it 'has to be TemcmlK'red that (lie ships have been thrown out of their usual regularity, This meana that in all probability there will be something of an accumulation of New Zealand dairy produce at Home, owing to fully-lad.li vessels from the Dominion arrived! almost simultaneously. The oversupply might hare a lowering tendency as far us prices are concerned. At the same time, .it is not expected thaf this will have a serious or lasting effect on •th'c industry. BIG SHIPMENTS.

j' The secretary of tins National Dairy I Association (Mr. J. G. Ilarkness) told a j'Times representative yesterday that it i is hoped to clear up the congestion of dairy produce by January 21. Between now and then five ocean liners will sail from Wellington with big cargoes. The Arnwa, leaving here for London on January 5, will take eighteen to twenty thousand crates of cheese .and thirty to forty thousand boxes of butter. That Will be the association's shipment, and v there is to be added to that the produce [Which tlm vessel will pick up at other .'ports. The Ruahine. Zeaiandic. TongaI'riro, and Tainui will follow in quick suc- ( cession with vci'y large consignments.