The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1886. OUR ANNIVERSARY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1528, 21 December 1886, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1886. OUR ANNIVERSARY.

We begin oor sixth year in Temuka took possession of the Temuka Leader, and it will be four years next April since the Geraldine Guardian was started. They have been five years of great commercial depression : five years that have seen many ups and downs, and some of our best men financially ruined, while very few have made any substantial progress; yet notwithstanding this we have struggled through them, and there is still sufficient energy left in us to last n little longer. Considering the depression, and the efforts put forth by the Timaru papers to crush us out of existence, we have perhaps every reason to feel thankful for having lived through it. Every means that meanness rould suggest, or epitefulness dictate, have been employed, yet the people have supported this paper better than they had previously done, and we have every reason to hope th*y will continue to do so. For oor part, we have done our best to deserve support. We have not pleased everybody ; it would be impossible to conduct a newspaper on lines that would please all. The man who tried to do it would find himself in the position of the man with the ass, We have never tried to please Anybody, or any party, or any clique ; we have tried to be fair and just to all ; and the fact that we have succeeded in overcoming the many obstacles with which our progress has been beset shows that the great majority of the people have been satisfied with us. We have done our best, and it is encouraging to find that on the whole our efforts have been appreciated by the people at large. It is also gratifying to be able to point to the fact that the many schemes advocated in the columns of this paper have been taken up by the leading statesman of the colony. Five years ago we began to advocate the protection of local industries ; it was not then even spoken of, but now it is being discussed all over the colony, and it will be without doubt one of the principal election cries next election. Four yearß ago we began to advocate a National Bank, and sipce then the subject has in one form or another been taiae or ten times before the two houses f p ""ament, Last session the late '" T . Bathgate succeeded in hon, John ° ~' » , , .. th « Legislative carrying a motion in tu (a Council affirming the principles . 1 National Bank ; in the Lower House Mr Jnmes Macandrew carried the second reading of a Bill having the same object in view. The subject bag also been introduced in the Parliament of South Australia, and the Bight Hon. W. E. Gladstone in his great epweb on,

Home Kule recommended Ireland to adopt a similar policy. A bill embodying another of our schemes was introduced by Sir George Grey last. session—that is, the bill for buying up large estates and letting them in small farms under the perpetual leasing system Tho l< Laborers' Homes " scheme was introduced by Sir Julius Vogel into one of his Local (Government bills, and the Government has, we believe, power under the Land Act now to purchase land and settle people on it. In Dunedin a few evenings ago Sir Julius Vogel made use of our cheap railway scheme, and thus everything new that we havo advocated has been taken up. Now the fact that these schemes have been taken up by certainly the leading politicians of the colony gives an assurance of their practicability. If they wpre visionary and foolish, as some wiseacres would like to represent them, they would not have had any notiee taken of them. But they are not ; they are thoroughly practicable, and if put into operation they they would bring back to our country prosperous and happy times. On the ground that we have done our best to benefit the whole colony as weli as this district, we claim that we have deserved support. It is no discredit to the district, to say the least of it, that it can be said thai these very important schemes have had their origin here, and tho people ought to feel an interest and a pride in the paper in which they have appeared, As regards the paper itself, we know that it is not equal to the London Times or the New York Herald, but we defy any town of the same size as this to produce so good a Iri-weekly paper, We have made it a credit to the district, and it behoves the district to give it a liberal support. » THE PROPOSED JAM FACTORY. In a previous issue we had occasion to complain of the way the Timaru Herald attempted to damage the proposed jam factory at Winchester, but we have reason to believe that it is upcessary for us to refer to the matter again. The fierald said there would be a difficulty in its way, inasmuch as that " pots, tins, and sugar " were very dear. We pointed out that this was pure unadulterated nonsense—the result of thoughtless ignorance. ''Pots, tins, and sugar" can be obtained at Winchester: as cheaply as elsewhere, and therefore can be no drawback. In Christchurch a Mr Manning has started a jam factory ; he has to buy " pots, tins, and sugar," and what advantage has he ovpr Winchester ? In Nelson there is a jam factory which is very successful, and in Dunedin there is another factory, if not more, carry ingonbusiness,and apparently in a prosperous condition. There are several other jam factories all over the colony, and any of them that hap, turned out good jam is doing well. The Akaro* Jam Factory failed because a lad of some 20 years of or so, who had some few months' experience in making jam, was put in as manager, and all the jam he made proved uaeles*. The result was that no one would buy the Akaroa jam, and so the factory had to shut up. This is what the proposed Company has to fear, but if they exercise discretion and select a good man that need not trouble them. The Akaroa factory is the only jam factory, so far as we can ascertain, that has failed, and that was killed by incompetency. We have heard of another factory which was paying a dividend of 20 per cent, and from the information gathered by the promoters of the Winchester project, we feel convined that the industry properly managed is capable of paying more. And furthermore, we; believe that this district is most admirably suited for it. First of all, its capabilities for growing frait'eannot be denied.' The Dunedin factory imports fruit from the other colonies ; it gets fruit down from the remotest wilds of Otago, atid has to pay heavy carriage for it; it gets it even : from this district. Now, how could the Dunedin factory pay for carrying the fruit to Dunedin and for bringing the jam back, and still sell cheaper than : the local factory could ? It could not be done, neither cruld Tasmania pay a duty of three halfpence per lb, together with carriage aod merchants' profits, and be ! able to undersell the local article. Common sense must show anyone, therefore, that the Winchester factory, if it starts, must command all the trade of South Canterbury and Ashburton, and this will be sufficient to consume all it will make for some time to come, We are honestly convinced that no industry has been started in this district which will be found so profitable to the shareholders as the jam factory ; there is no danger that it will not pay, if properly managed, and on these grouuda we urge upon those who have the project in hand to make all possible haste with starting it. Those who intend to take up shares ought to do so at once, so as to enable it to he started this seaeoo, If people intend tq take up shares there is no use in dilly-dallying oyer it, and it is foolish to object to take up shares because people whom one does not like happen to be connected with it. The present I'rovisiona! Directors will not be Permanent Directors. After the shares are taken up the shareholders will meet and elect whomsover they like. Why, then, should anyone refuse to take up shares because he does not like iK « vffwiinel of the present Provisional Directors/. % k * lm M •J?"* t 0 object to take up shar-e.*on «»"» P^ a - We ask the people to reflect Upon the benefits that would accrue to the whole jjstrict (from pna establishment of a jam factory f tLejr would kj&ye a market for

their fruit at their own doors; they need never again go from house to house, )ika peddlers, trying to sell their fruit, apd they would have a profitable means of employing their children and ef training them to habits of thrift and industry. We trust that in a few weeks we shall be able to record the starting of the industry.