TOKO SETTLERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1922, Page 7

TOKO SETTLERS.

THE ANNUAL GATHERING. SPEECH BY MR. MASTERS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) The annual social gathering under tho auspices of the Toko Settlers' Association was held in the Coronation Hall, Toko, on Thursday night, and as is usual with this function, the hall was well filled and an enjoyable evening’s entertainment resulted. Advantage was taken of the occasion to present the prizes won in the butterfat and root crop competitions, Mr. R. Masters, M.P., being called on to perform this important duty. The handsome butterfat competition cup, was. won for the second time in succession by Mr. J. W. Crowe, and it now belongs to the winner. Mr. L. Marfell was the winner of the swede competition cup. Dancing was indulged in throughout the evening to excellent music provided by Mrs. Bianchi’s orchestra, extras being played by local ladies. Misses M. Gernhoefer, J. T. Kilpatrick and M. Chainey made efficient M.’sC. and the catering was in the capable hands of the Toko ladies. Mr. W. H. Were, as chairman of the proceedings, apologised for the absence of Mr. J. W. Deem, field instructor to the Agricultural Department. Mr. W. H. Were, in asking Mr. Masters to present the prizes, said the past season had been a very good one from a dairying point of view, but the root crops had not been so successful. Toko this year had to hand over the Taranaki A. and P. root crop shield to Tar ata, which he believed was a good thing for the competitions. Mr. Masters then presented the prizes as follows: Butterfat Competition Cup.—J. W. Crowe 1, J. R. Woollaston 2, M. Gernhoefer 3. Mangold Growing Competition.—L. Marfell, 195 points, 1; J. R. Wollaston, 169 A, 2; W. H. Were, 125, 3. Carrot Growing.—J. R. Woollaston, 108£ points, 1; G. Young, 106, 2; W. H. Were, 103, 3. Swede Growing Cup.—L. Marfell, 1064 points, 1; C. A. Zurcher and H. Milne, 1044 (equal) 2. Soft Turnip Growing.—Max. Gernhoefer, 79 points, 1; J. R. Woollaston, 784, 2; J. B. Hine and Mr. Bradford, 68J (equal), 3. NEW CUP PRESENTED. Mr. Masters said that through Mr. Crowe having won the butterfat competition cup twice in succession it now went permanently into his possession. This left the competitions without a cup, but if those present would accept it he would be pleased to present a cup to keep the competitions going. The announcement was received with acclamation. Mr. Masters said he was pleased to hear that Toko had lost the A. and P. shield, so' that it could go round. It was competition that -,vas the incentive to keep tilings going. Healthy rivalry such as that displayed in the local competitions was for the good of the district. Mr. Crowe had now won the butterfat competition six times in succession and in the meantime had largely increased his butterfat returns. This was an indication of what could be done by a good practical farmer. Mr. Crowe’s herd .had r.tt; ned an average of 3381bs of bujierfat, which compared with an average for the whole of Taranaki of 1801bs or 1601bs for New Zealand. MARKETING OF PRODUCE. Referring to the improvement in production Mr. Masters said New Zealand had not been giving one vital thing sufficient consideration—he referred to the marketing of produce. The country was losing hundreds of thousands of pounds every year through bad marketing. The average price of New Zealand butter last year had ranged up to 34s per 100 behind Danish Butter. The New Zealand product was as good as the Danish, but the Danes had a better system of marketing than obtained in New Zealand. At Wellington last year he saw butter being loaded on the boats at the wharves and it was being knocked about in a most disgraceful manner. Butter was being loaded on one side of the vessel and coal on the other, and coal was being trodden into the beautiful white pine boxes. This was neglect that should not be allowed to continue. On the same wharves he saw the sun shining into the cheese stores and the cheese was actually running out. While the farmers were doing good work in producing they were losing by the system of marketing. Right up to the shipping every care was taken, but it was then the trouble began, NEW MARKETS NEEDED. New Zealand, continued Mr. -Masters, had been Confining itself too much to one market London. The New Zealand market had been controlled by Tooley Street, while Hull, Liverpool, and other ports offered immense markets, Hull supplying a populafon of over 11,000,000 and Liverpool over 9,000,000. If they opened up new markets instead of sticking rigidly to London they would get much better prices. The information coming from the High Commissioner’s office regarding the markets, the member said, was a positive disgrace. He knew of two factories in his electorate which had lost £9OOO through selling at the wrong time, the High Commissioner’s information having arrived too late and the producers were losing thousands of pounds through the want, of knowledge of the markets. Referring to freights, Mr. Masters said the position was very different now from what it was before the war. Millions of tons of shipping was lying idle sll over the world and the price of coal, wages, insurance, and stores was much lower In 1921 the freight paid on Now Zealand butter was ..304,738, the pre-war cost having been only £177,369, or about 100 per cent. less. Every box was costing 2s 6d or 100 per cent, more than it did in 1914. The posi-t-on regarding cheese was even worse. On ,o , .>, PlO l du “ £799 ’ 490 paid in freight in 1.121, the cost on the same quantity before toe war being £520,678, or £272,802 less. Marine insurance was also far too high, New Zealand paying last year £170,000 in premiums on exported dairy produce. Who ever heard of a produce shin going down’ This was u matter that should be taken up by the farmers who should run their own risks. If the position were gone into it would be found that it could be done on co-operative lines similarly to the freezing works, etc. Something on these lines should be done to give the farmers the full benefits from their work. (Applause). Mr Masters congratulated the winners of the competition. Toko, he said, was one of the most progressive districts in Taranaki.