THE TAURANGA DISTRICT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3167, 19 April 1909, Page 5

THE TAURANGA DISTRICT.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Since writing you about a year ago most of my prophesies in reference to this district have been more than fulfilled. In the town of Tauranga things have been going ahead at a great rate. Coal gasworks are now being erected, a loan has been sanctioned and now being applied for, for a good water supply. Two large timber mills are to be erected near the town by Messrs Gammon Bros , who have acquired a block of about 25,000 acres of fine timber country, commencing about 15 miles from Tauranga, in connection with which they expect to employ about 600 hands and spend from £15,000 to $20,000 per annum in wages alone, and estimate that it will take 15 to 20 years to work out the available timber. A movement is on foot to start a local fruit canning factory. A large and representative meeting was held last Saturday! to arrange about the establishing of a freezing works. Sheep farming has gone ahead at a great rate recently and more than the requisite number of carcases necessary for the starting of frsezing works on pacing lines, was easily guaranteed, with every prospect of thi3 number being doubled when the works start. The Te Puke district alone turned out 7,000 fat bullocks last year.

The Survey of the East Coast Railway has been cbmpleted through Tauranga and we have every prospect of the line being gone with at an. early date. We are looking forward in the near future to a regular hteam communication with Wellington, when we will be better served with facilities for marketing our produce than any other Argicultural district in New Zealand. The service will be a great boon to Wellington as well as ourselves, aB our fruit and produce is earlier than any other part of New Zealand and our mild climate enables us to proudce lines that cannot be grown with profit elsewhere. The grape crop has been a great success this year and the owners of the different vineyards are looking forward not only to a good but a plentiful vintage. The maize crop, as usual, gives promise of a big return. As illustrating the big Ireturn from Bay of Plenty land, there are several farms that we know of, that can at the present time be bought for £lO per acije that have large crops of miize now ripening on them, estimated to yield 80 bushels to the acre, and every prospect of being marketed at (from 4s 6d to 4s lOd per bushel. The whole cost of contracting these crops from bag to bag being about £2 per acre. Land has not yet reached the high prices ruling elsewhere, but as the present influx of new settlers goes on prices are bound to rise to those ruling in less favoured parts of the Dominion. A Bill is now being prepared to authorise the formation of a Harbour Board to have control of our fine harbour of 25 miles of water, which in its present virgin state may be worked by vessels up to 28ft draft, and with a little spent on it, would accommodate the biggest draft vessel that comes to Australasia. The deer shooting has just opened, and sportsmen are having a good time, the deer being very thick this season, as many as seventy-five being counted in one mob within 8 miles of Tauranga. The curlew season was not so good this year, but we are looking forward to a real good duck, pheasant, quail, ana pigeon season, all of which are plentiful. As usual, anglers are having a good time with ■the trout and saltwater fish. The dairymen are having a splendid season, being very little affected by the drought, as our loose sandy loam holds the moisture so well, and we have such a splendid growth of lucerne all the year round. We have been little affected by the tightness in the money market, and everyone is looking .forward to a real good season and further progress and prosperity.—l am, etc., COLIN NORRIB. "