TARANAKI OF THE FUTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1918, Page 4

TARANAKI OF THE FUTURE.

.It was mentioned by more than one speaker at Hawera that the interests of the southern area were more bound up with Patea than Moturoa. That, of course, eannot be disputed, but we may be permitted to point out that whilst it is the ease to-day, the possibility —indeed, the probability—has to be contemplated of Moturoa being the gateway for the whole of the province in the future. Let us take imports as an example. Today practically all the benzine consumed in Taranaki lands direct from San Francisco at New Plymouth, and is distributed from here. The saving of the coastal freight goes into the pockets of the consumers. Again, take fertilisers. Just before the war a regular trade direct from English ports to New Plymouth was being worked up. Boats had landed cargoes, the saving in freight again going to users. That was a start, but it shows that direct shipping is of material benefit to the whole of Taranaki, and not only to those adjacent to the port. No district in New Zealand—not, indeed, in the whole world—is so rich as Taranaki, whose exports last year were fifty per cent, per capita greater than the exports of the Dominion as a whole, and the purchasing power of its people must, therefore, be fifty per cent, above the average. Satisfactory as that position is, it is nothing to what it will be in the years to come. Taranaki is the most highly favored part of the most fortunate country in the British Empire. It has the finest quality of land, it has a regular and abundant rainfall, and'for those reasons must always remain preeminent as a dairying district. Every year sees an improvement in the methods of farming, but later on, when cheaper fertilisers and power and better transit facilities become available, the province will advance by leaps and bounds. This is no fanciful picture. Ask the soldier lads regarding what they have seen in France and England, and see if they have not been impressed with the results obtained from 'land under conditions that cannot in the slightest degree compare with ours. The chairman of the Harboi Board stated at the recent meeting that he had been authoritatively told that the first new railway work to be put in hand after the war was' the continuation of the Te Roti—Opunake line to New Plymouth, via Okato. That work presents no engineering difficulties, and the estimate is moderate, so that a few years hence the produce of the plains can be railed direct to the ship's side at Moturoa. It may, of course, be argued that the biggest of the dairying companies have their interests tied up with Patea, and that it is only natural to conserve them. It has never been the policy o this journal to decry Patea port, which has served, and still serves, ,a very valuable purpose, and has been of material benefit to Southern Taranaki. But we live in an age of progress. The war has brought its new problems and increased our burdens. The only way to obtain relief is to increase production, and to effect ;sawßg; if J#

rect shipping ensures a saving of the coastal freights on imports as well as on exports, would it not be good business to take advantage of that saving? Of course it would be, and the leaders of the industry in the third area, we feel sure, are good enough business men to see the advantage, and act upon it at once, even if a loss elsewhere is suffered. In the past some of them entertained grave doubts as to the port of New Plymouth ever being fit to berth Home vessels. That doubt has been dispelled by the arrival of the ocean-going boats. They were told at the time of the raising of the, last loan that in the opinion of the board no rate would be necessary. That has been borne out. The board now says ) ',' Gentlemen, we have got so far and we can go no further unless we further improve the port and extend its facilities. We have employed the best engineer we could secure in Australasia, and he has given us plans that we believe will make the port in a few years one of, the best in the Dominion. We want the whole of the district in with as to enable us to raise the necessary money on the best terms. We don't think,a rate will be required; if so, it will be infinitesimal, so far as the third area is concerned. We know that the liners carrying our dairy produce will come here if we can carry out our plans." It remains now for the board to.go right to the settlers, take them fully into their confidence, and explain the whole proposals to them. The final word must rest with the settlers. All we ask is that the proposals be considered dispassionately, without prejudice, and in the light of conditions, not as they exist now but as they are likely to be in the course of the next tenor twenty years.