The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1882.

Temuka Leader, Issue 928, 16 March 1882, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1882.

What has happened to t o New Zealand w Paper Mill Company ? We understand the farther consideration of the floating of the Company was postponed until harvest time, but though many anxious inquiries are being made daily as to what the Committee intend doing, no definite answer can be obtained. The fact is, we believe, they are doing nothing, and hence the complaints that are becoming more general every day. Tf ever steps are to be taken, they should be taken at once. , The farmers are now selling their grain —the yield of a plentiful harvest—and we are sure they need only to be reminded of this matter to come forward and take shares. The farmer who would not give all he could afford towards starting such an enterprise as this would make a great mistake, and therefore we would advise them not to hesitate to do everything in their power to make it a success. The matter is mainly a farmers’ affair, as it is they who. will be most benefited by it, and we must say indeed that it is a very shortsighted policy on their part to hesitate in investing their last penny in an enterprise that is calculated to become a considerable source of revenue to them;. Let us suppose for instance that a farmer invests £,IOU in this mill, and that he has 100'tons of straw which he sella at 30s per ton, he will not only get the amount he invested back the first yearj but a great deal more. The straw is- quite useless to him, in fact it is in his way, and he has to pay men to burn it, and therefore the money he receives for it is so much added to his yearly, income.. We have ; hown that iu, one year every farmer in the district would recoup himself for his investment J in the paper mill, even though he never (

saw a penny of whathe invested, or interest thereon, and when we come to consider what his gain might be in ten years’ time, we think that it is not too much to say that farmers ought to give £IOO each at least towards such an institution regardless of whether they would even again get it back or not, because if they do not get it directly they will get it indirectly. They will get it in the shape of payment for their straw, which is njw a nuisance to them, thjy will get it in au increased price for their farm and dairy produce owing to increased consumption of the necessaries of life consequent on the increase m the population by the number employed in the mill. We shall refer to this subject at greater length at an early date, but in the meantime let us hope that the gentlemen who have the matter in hand will take immediate steps towards placing it once more before, the public.