The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1891. PROSPECTS OF POTATO GROWERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2196, 2 May 1891, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1891. PROSPECTS OF POTATO GROWERS.

A fakmee in the jxorm xsianci sent Home a trial shipment of early fluke potatoeß, and they sold in England at the rate of £l4 per ton. If North Island potatoes have been Bent Home in a condition that English people bought them at the rate of £l4 per ton there is no reason why Canterbury potatoes should not be sent in the same way. It ia true the quantity the North Islander sent Home was small, but.a larger quantity could be sent as well if proper care were taken of them. The quantity has nothing to do with the question, which appears to have been satisfactorily solved by the fact that potatoes have been successfully landed in the English market and sold there at a price which is well eal- : culated to make the teeth of potato growers in this district water. This being so, a new field of enterprise has been opened up for people in this district. Few places can equal, and fewer still can surpass, South Canterbury, and especially this district, for growing potatoes, and if they can be | exported successfully to England, and sold there at even half the price the North Islander obtained, the industry will soon became more important than even the frozen meat trade. The advantage is altogether on our side. We could land our potatoes on the English market just in the nick of time, when the previous year's supply of English potatoes began to not only run short, but get unfit for use, and we eould reap a splendid harvest between then and the coming in of the new crop. It would be different to the frozen meat trade. In that we have to compete with the whole world, but the Antipodes alone can supply new potatoes in April and May. We would thus be masters of the situation, when we could pour in on the astonished Englishman new potatoes for his Eirst of April dinner. The novelty of the thing would make him buy them at any price. This is a matter which landowners ought to see about at once, but no doubt they will have to contend with the usual initial difficulties. The best thing they can do is to form a company, with a small capital, to send Home an experimental shipment. If this is not done it will be some years before the trade is put on its proper footing, as it will not be easy to get vessels provided with suitable accommodation unless special inducements are given to their owners. Eor any one individual the risk of loading a steamer would be too great, but it the responsibility were distributed amongst a large number even if a loss were the result of the trial no one would be hurt by it. For this reason we think that persons interested ought to at once form a company and give the scheme a trial. It is worth a trial. If successful, landowners in this district would not be long in making their " pile," and potato-growing land would be increased enormously in value. Besides this, the advantage to the land itself would be great. There is nothing can clean the land so well as a crop of potatoes, and thus, while extremely profitable, it would be advantageous in that direction. We strongly urge upon farmers the advisability of adopting our suggestion, and we have no doubt that they will ultimately do so.

THE RAILWAY MIbMANAGERS. The Eailway Commissioners are evidently determined to leave nothing undone to render themselves detested through the length and breadth of the colony. They enjoyed a brief period of popularity with a certain class of people during the recent strike, but they did hot deserve it. They did everything they possibly could at that time to make the railway men go out on strike, and if they bad succeeded those who looked with favor oa their actions would have suffered serious loss through it. They thought at that time they would crush the Eailway Servants Union, but what is the result. The Eailway Servants Union is stronger by 356 members now than it was then. Thus their aggressive attitude and general hostility to the railway employes, spurred on the apathetic, to come in under the protection of the Union. They refused to grant any concessions to delegates to attend the conference at Christchurch, but the delegates came all the same, and made arrangements for fighting the Commissioners whenever an occassion for it arose. It was proposed at the conference to set aside a portion of the money of the Union for the purpose of creating a benevolent fund, but the delegates refused to do so. They said in effect, “ such is the hostility of the attitude assumed by the Commissioners towards us that we do not know when they may force a quarrel on us. Instead of setting the money aside for benevolent purposes we shall keep it for the purpose of fighting the Commissioners.” It was the insane conduct of the Commissioners that forced the employes to form a Union in the first instance, and it is their want of tact that is keeping the Union vigorous and healty still.

But that is not all. Notwithstanding the efforts which have been put forth in this colony to promote and foster local industry ; notwithstanding that contracts of the same kind have been let and carried out satisfactorily in this colony during the last few

years ; notwithstanding the cry of the unemployed being heard from end to end of the land, the Railway Commissioners have forwarded to England an order for the supply of rolling stock. This could be done in this colony as well as m England, and it is something monstrous to send money out of the country while men are starving for want of work. Parliament ought to take cognisance of this at once, and if the country cannot see now the madness of allowing our railways to remain much longer in the, hands of such incompetent managers it is nob the fault of the Commissioners. They have done everything possible to make their incompetence patent to all. They have demoralised the service, wrecked the hopes of local Harbor Boards to pay their way, made the time table the most inconvenient that could be conceived, and now they have crowned it all by sending work which has hitherto been done in the colony, to England,while on the other hand the country has notderived the slightest advantage from their management. W e see references made to the fact that they have made the railways pay 3 per cent, on the cost of constt action. The railways paid that before they took office, so there is nothing in it. We hope they will soon be dismissed altogether from the public service, as now they have been tried and found wanting.