MIDDLE TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1916, Page 3

MIDDLE TARANAKI.

INCREASE IN ITS PRODUCTIVITY. BUTTER-MAKINGAGAINST CHEESEMAKING. A LOSS OF £54,585 IN FOUR YEARS. The president of the Stratf»rd Chamber of Commerce (Mr. J. B. Richards), in the course of his annual address last evening, said:— During the past year the district has shown great material prosperity, due chiefly to enhanced values for ' staple products caused by the war. While the after effects of war remain beyond human foresight common prudence weuli recommend economy and provisi»a against eventuality. Butter-fat production shows a 3teady increase. The following butter-fat fig. ures received by the Stratford, Midhirst, Nguere, Lowgarth and Cardiff dairy factory companies are interesting:—l9ll- - 3,257;490Mi5; 1912-13, 3,722,221 lbs; 1913-14, 4,019.8041b5; 1914-15, 4,058,209 lbs. This shows the last yearly increase to be 38,4051b5, and the Jnc'rease during the period equal to 2j'/ 2 per cent. The increase is plainly ! due to improved farming, particularly to increasing cultivation of the soil and judicious use of fertilisers. The other products of our district, i.e., wool and meat, cannot be so easily reviewed, but there is reason to believe that they show some increase in quantity. Values of staple products have ruled and remain very high. Cheese, butter, wool and meat have commanded prices far in advance of anything previously known in New Zealand. Here, again, wool and ment cannot be easily traced, but in regard to cheese and butter the following is conclusive. The dairy factories before-mentioned paid out to supplieds in 1913-14 £215,882 9s, while in 1914-15, with an increased production of only 38,4051bs of butter-fat. they paid out £263,304 19s 3d, an increase of £47,482 10s 3d. It is pleasing, to reflect that this extra money has been distributed, generally speaking, among a section of the community who work early and late and whose industrious and tiresome toil .•iehly deserve reward, and probably more general good will accrue in this way than in any other way whatsoever. It is worthy of note that cheese values have returned about 4>/ s d per lb on butter-fat more than butter. The suppliers of Stratford and Midhirst factories would therefore have received for butter-fat £54,58n 2s 7d more than they did if cheese instead of butter had been made. This sum appears, to be a big price to pay for the difference between receiving 'back skim milk and whey.