The Daily News. THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1915. FARMERS' FREEZING WORKS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 245, 25 March 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1915. FARMERS' FREEZING WORKS.

The enthusiasm which provailed at Tuesday's meeting at Stratford, and oxpressed at the conclusion by the voluntary subscription of some £4300 of tlie required capital, augurs well for the success of the movement to establish farmers' co-operative freezing works in Taranaki. The promoters were aided considerably by the fact that many of the graziers in Taranaki have recently had a very practical and painful experience. Tlie proprietary freezing works have found it more profitable lately to buy in districts where stock was plentiful and food prospect 'poor than to conline their operations to freezing on farmers' account, and thus Taranaki slock lias Been'" shut cut." The policy of freezing on farmers' account ensured the best return to the raiser, but was less profitable to the freezing company. So tlie farmers huve decided to build works of uieir own, where shareholders will have first call ou the freezing capacity of the works, whether tlie slock is to be sold to the company or frozen and shipped on tlie vendors' account. Tlie most remarkable feature about the whole business is that the cooperative freezing works have been so long delayed in a community whose wealth has been created by the development of the co-operative system among the fanners. Tlie men on the land in this province own, anil conduct on cooperative principles, with signal success, co-operative butter, cheese and bacon factories, box-making factory, saleyards, and dairy produce freezing works, so that the present venture involves but a continuation of this self-reliant policy. It has, of course, been frequently stated that no scheme of co-operative meat freezing could he successfully launched until the New Plymouth Harbor was ready to accommodate the big insulated steamers, and the farmers at Tuesday's meeting had the personal assurance of Mr. Newton King, treasurer and member of the Harbor Board, that the harbor would be ready for such steamers several months before the company could be ready to take advantage of it. It was only natural that the question of site should have been debated at the meeting, but site is certainly not tlie vital point so long as the loca'tinn of the works meets the exigencies of the actual operations, the convenience of the growers of fat cattle anil sheep, and is convenient to the port of shipment. The various towns are almost sure to exert a " pull" in this mailer, because of the impetus given to local businesses by the proximity of works employing some, hundreds of hands, but their claims need not be considered. Only (he interests of. the producers incd to be taken into account, and flie matter of siie-is one. which must been disclosed at. privcnt, the most convenient location for the works >!r»t be

in the Lepporton district.' North" naki is favored by the majority of those who have, given triought to-the, proposition, for various reasons. The, first is that the meat must be exported from Now Plymouth or Waitara, and a second is based on the great support which will be forthcoming from the magnificent griming lands in tii'i the province, including the rich Oliuradistrict which will shortly bo tapped by the improved road facilities. A site further south than Waiongona would be unacceptable to the farmers in the area just mentioned. There appears no danger, however, of the scheme being wrecked by diversity of opinion-' on this point, for the opinion is fairly generally held that the directors must ho guided by the advice of experts. We congratulate the promoters on the solid support forthcoming at the inaugural meeting at winch the attendance would have been very large had the weather been at all favorable, and upon their decision to hammer hard at' the project in order to set the company afoot in two months, so as to be ready to start operations next year. The oxport of beef and mutton from TaranakT with the opening up of its rich pasture lands" in the hinterland is bound' to show a very big increase under-any circumstances in the next few years, and' the provision of extra freezing' works will become an imperative necessity. The movement has not come too soon. Had it borne -fruit a year ago, the amount gained by the farmers this season would have gone a long way towards paying the cost of the- whole' works.