The Daily News THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1921. SHIPPING DAIRY PRODUCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1921, Page 4

The Daily News THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1921. SHIPPING DAIRY PRODUCE.

The remarks made by speakers at the recent meeting of the Taranaki Producers’ Company in connection with the advantages attaching to direct shipment

of dairy produce from the grading ports, particularly New Plymouth, are worthy of special note. The value of any testimony is rightly estimated by the weight it carries on account of the qualifications of the witnesses to express opinions as the result of practical knowledge and experience concerning the matter on which they speak. Mr. J. S. Connett gave a very pertinent illustration of t'hiia when he alluded to the fact that there had been a good deal of criticism — mostly from New Plymouth and not from the country —in regard to using the stone from Paritutu for pushing on harbor works in order that the requirements of the province* as to shipping could be satisfactorily m§t, and he voiced the opinion of all the producers in the district when he expressed the hope that the work would be carried out atian early date so that the urgently needed additional facilities would he provided as soon as possible. That those present at the meeting, all of whom are directly interested in direct shipment from Moturoa, were in accord with Mr. Connett was evidenced by the resolution pasced approving of the action of the Harbor Board in deciding to press on with the extension of the breakwater by using supplies of stone from Paritutu, that being the nearest and cheapest . ource of supply for carrying out this important work. The importance of direct shipping was, said Mr. Connett, brought home to the producers by the fact that, at times, the losses in break-

ages, depreciation in weight, and additional storage charges were very heavy in the case of transhipment. Economically it is an absurd and wasteful policy to tranship goods from one seaport to another when it can be avoided by despatching goods from the port of origin by direct shipment. It is, therefore, gratifying to note that the new contract made by the dairy producers with the shipping companies contains a clause that the flhipping companies will endeavor to give direct shipment from the grading ports, including New Plymouth. Last year there were t'hree direct shipments of butter from Moturoa, amounting to 43,528 boxes, and five shipments of cheese, totalling 35,713 crates. This record demonstrates decisively that the port of New Plymouth is fulfilling the purpose for which it was constructed at such great expense, and thoroughly justifies the works now in progress. The producers of Taranaki naturally will not be satisfied until the whole of their exports are loaded at Moturoa for direct transport to the overeeas markets, and the same remark applies to the imports. The community of interest that exists between the town and the country should find natural and practical expression through the medium of mutual co-opera-tion in all matters in which both are interested. Taranaki’s prosperity depends almost entirely on the dairy industry, so that the townspeople may well be expected to do all in their power to forward the interests of dairy farmers and other. producers. As an illustration of what New Plymouth has done in this direction, it was stated that, owing to the Moturoa freezing works being able to obtain the benefit of the municipal electric current, the company had saved over £5OO as compared with what the freezing power would have cost had it been wholly driven by steam. In this way the borough has helped the producers, and it should be the aim of the townspeople to back up the Harbor Board in its endeavor to make the port safe for the largest vessels trading with the Dominions, thereby securing direct shipment of imports and exports.