CO-OPERATIVE FREEZING WORKS PROPOSAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3139, 16 March 1909, Page 5

CO-OPERATIVE FREEZING WORKS PROPOSAL.

POSSIBLE NEW DEVELOPMENTS. OUTSIDE DISTRICTS INTERESTED. IMPORTANT OPINIONS OF AUTHORITATIVE FARMERS. A meeting of Farmers' Union delegates was to have been held in Masterton to-morrow in the rooms of the Masterton A. and P. Association, to discuss the question of establishing co-operative freezing works in Wairarapa. The meeting has been postponed until Wednesday of next week, when it is believed that the conference, which comprises delegates from a wide district, will be attended with special interest, on account of various proposals which wili be submitted and discussed in view of any particular proposition , not being considered feasible. The matter to be discussed is of very great importance to farmers of not only the Wairarapa, but judging by the remarks of one of the most influential farmers in the Bush district, who is a prominent Farmers' Unionist, the question is vnore or less momentous to farmers in the Forty Mile Bush, and even in the West Coast and Manawatu districts. The farmer mentioned, in conversation with a Wairarapa Age reporter, said he knew for a fact that the movement on foot among Wairarapa farmers to found a co operative freezing works had beer, widely discussed in the Manawatu and on the West Coast, and it was believed that if the company were formed on the lines suggested, but which had its works at or near Wellington, the project would receive a surprisingly large measure of support from districts north and west of Wairarapa itself. "From the point of view of the farmers themselves," said the authority referred to, "it really makes a very small difference individually whether the works are located in Wairarapa, or, say, Petone or Ngahauranga, while to the company as a whole such a matter may be of vast importance, especially if having the works near the port means the co-operatiw of the West Coast and Manawatu. Supposing the company were to decide upon hav ng the works in Wairarapa, the probabilities are that the locality would be at the south end of the valley, but wherever the exact spot might be, the saving to farmers individually in the cost of having their manure, etc., railed back if the seaport were not chosen is a small circumstance compared with the great gain to the company as a whole in the way of the saving of freight on coal from Wellington, and in the cost of labour and general maintenance of the works. These are points which require very mature deliberation, but I feel convinced that when the" matter is fairly and fully considered, farmers generally will admit that viewed from all standpoints, the port should be the place for the works site."

When the co-operative freezing works proposal came before the Masterton Branch of the Union some months ago at the time when delegates were appointed the matter was very fully discussed, the general opinion of the meeting being rather against the proposal in view of the difficulty likely to be experienced not only in financing the company, but of obtaining guarantees of sufficient stock to warrant the formation of the company. However, the remarks of the farmer quoted above throw a different aspect on the whole question, as no suggestion whatever was heard of outside districts being likely to give the proposal their support. Another well-known local stock authority interviewed on the points raised by the Bush farmer, bm-e out the contentions of the latter regarding the greater suitability of Wellington or its vicinity as the locality for the works in the event of Manawatu and the West Coaat co-operat-ing. Furthermore, the local authority suggested the possibility of a cooperative company being likely to be able to secure an already well-estab-lished works near the capital at a price which might well warrant the expenditure.

CABLE NEWS.

United Press.Association— By Electric Telegraph Copyright.