THE SALEYARDS SITE CONTROVERSY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9546, 19 July 1909, Page 5

THE SALEYARDS SITE CONTROVERSY.

DISCUSSED AT A BIG MEETING OF FARMERS. OPINIONS ON SOLWAY AND OTHER LOCALITIES. SOLWAY CHOSEN BY A LaKGE MAJORITY. Dominion Hall, Masterton, was packed with representative farmers of the Wairarapra on Saturday, when a meeting, convened by auctioneering firms, was held to discuss the important question of where the most suitable position was for the proposed combined saleyards.

Mr D. McGregor, junr., President of the Masterton A. and P. Association, was voted to the chair, and that gentleman briefly explained the objects of the meeting, inviting a full discussion an the matter. He formally moved that the meeting affirm the desirability of the town having a combined saleyard. Mr W. Perry, in seconding the motion, said the question of combined yards was one in which the small farm ers of the district should have the opportunity of discussing. The matter bore in an important way upon the proposed fat stock sales, and he instanced Waipukurau yards as an example of this. Prices for stock would improve materially if combined sales were held in a suitable locality.

Mr W. C. Buchanan thought there would be no division on the desirability of united yards. The question which would interest the meeting was that of the most suitable site. He thought that the whole matter had a most important bearing on the future of stock sales in the district, and especially if fat stock sales were established. Mr C. C. Jackson suggested that the auctioneers should first give their 1 views as to what they intended to do,as the meeting was somewhat in the dark. Mr A. Reside said that at Waipukurau they had made a success of the combined sale idea, and especially as there they had a director who, unrestrained by auctioneering 'firms, dictated where stock was to be placed. Mr J. C. McKillop said the questions being raised were somewhat apart from the object of the meeting. The question was. should the yards be shifted?

Mr 0. G Cooper said that since he came to the district the cry had ever been for a combined yard/;tind the auctioneering firms had, in view of this, decided to meet the wishes of, the public in the manner proposed, Sol way seemed to theni the most Bartable site. It had been suggested that the speaker, as secretary of the syndicate, was interested in pushing the sale of the Solway site. Such an assertion carried a certain amount of innuendo, but after all, did anyone but little harm He certainly was secretary, but the position was purely honorary, and arose through the negotiations in connection with the acquisition of the showgrounds. Personally, he was to get no commission at all. He was certainly a large shareholder in his firm, and as such affirmed his opinion of Solway aits as a sale yards by taking'the action he was doing. Mr J. B. Moodie said that so far as the auctioneers were concerned there was no question as to the advisability of combined yards. (Hear! Hear!) He thought the discussion as to whether combined yards should be formed or not wa9 quite irrelevant. Mr F. W. Carey agreed with these remarks.

" The motion was put and carried unanimously, the question of site being then discussed. Mr* D. McGregor senr. moved that in the opinion of the farmers of this district Sol way should be sejected as a site for a united saleyards. He deprecated the importing into the question of such parochial matters as where individual members resided. (Hear! Hear!) Personal considerations should be entirely put aside, and the yards made attractive to a very large district. It was impossible to get a suitable site near the heart of the town. The speaker had attended many sales on the West Coast, especially Wanganui, and there the chief success seemed to be —not the proximity to the town, but the nearness to the railway. Though the present yards site was nearer his place than Sol way, still he preferred to take his stock to Solway, as driving them through the town was a nuisance. He could not think of a more suitable site than Solway, where there was every facility for the rapid handling of stock. The same arguments applied, and with greater force, to Solway as a sale site, as were used in favour of Solway as a show site. Viewed dispassionately, and especially when the many district stock routes were considered, Solway 'stood pre-eminent as a saleyards site. (Applause).

Mr W. H. Kummer said he seconded the motion with great pleasare.

Mr Jos. Morris said Mr Percy and himself had seen Mr Gosnell, Who owned 15 acres of Government leasehold next the old hospital.where sales were previously held, and that gentleman had expressed his willingness to give the site for a saleyards. Then again the Dixon Street showgrounds would possibly be available for saleyards. Either of these sites wer6 more suitable, he thought, than Solway. A greater portion of the stock came from the end of the town, and therefore Solway sice was not all he represented it to be. Mr Buchanan suggested, amid approval that leasehold land was obviously not suitable for a permanent saleyards. Mr O. C. Cooper said the auctioneers had certainly agreed to discuss any other suitable sites than Solway —he freely admitted that. But his firm would certainly be against building costly yards on leasehold. It was the intention of the auctioneers to build yards right up to date. Solway was out of the Borough—a great matter very often—it was high and dry, close to the railway line, and a special easement with the A. and P. Association enabled it to be an easy matter to truck stock to the railway station. In a country riddled with labour laws, it would be a consideration to farmers if the possibilities of expense in regard to droving expenses were reduced to a minimum. He heartily endorsed Mr McGregor's remarks regarding the West Coast, and the value planed on- proximity to the railway. It was said that the

town would suffer by Solway beingthe future salevarda, but farmtrs must remember that the town did not keep them. However, there was not much in that argument. The speaker read a telegram from Mr W. E. Bidwill, of Featherston, emphatically approving of Solway, especially because of the railway facilities. The point aimed at by the auctioneers was to study all their buyers in the best way. A return compiled of his firm's transactions showed that stock came from all parts of a big district, but a great majority of it went south. Mr J. B. Moodie said the auctioneers did not intend to be dictated to by a few farmers in a matter where the whole district was concerned. Further, it was quite untrue that the auctioneers were being dictated to by the Masterton A. and P. Association. The speaker referring to Mr Morris' remarks, said that the question of building on a leasehold was not such a great objection .in his eyes as perhaps it was in others. But it was a question of finding a more suitable site leasehold or otherwise—than Solway. Mr J. C. McKilllop said the meeting had been called at somewhat short notice, and if longer notice had been gi /en probably a larger attendance of northern farmers from more distant localities than his. At last sale the speaker noticed that most of the stock came from the north end of Masterton. He believed that a more suitable site on Mr Matthews' property, near the Masterton railway station, could be procured. He moved that a small committee be set up to ascertain if a more suitable site than Sulway could be obtained. Mr P. Cotter seconded the motion. Mr Carey said that previously when looking round for a site he had approached Mr Matthews, but for family reasons the estate could not be dealt with. After inquiries in all directions the auctioneering firms were thrown back on to Solway. Mr A. J. Percy said he had an open mind on the matter. He desired to sea a permanent yard in the best place, though he favoured the north end of the town as most suitable. If no other site were obtainable then the best would have to- be made of the position. Mr 0. C. Cooper said that the auctioneers had given the matter the fullest investigation, and it had not been arrived hurriedly to remove to Solway. Mr Jackson predicted that if Solway were agreed upon and the auctioneers removed there that ltwould not be long new* firm- cam-,, menced business with yards at the north end of the town- ,■

Mr W. Terry said, that in Oamnr"» whereajsimilar position arose, tie experience related by Mr Jackson hid not occurred. As Chairman of the Solway syndicate, he bore out entirely what Mr Cooper had said regardng the latter gentleman receiving whatever for his services to tr>e syndicate. He spoke most emphatically on the point that the Masterton A. and P. Association stood to benefit very considerably if the saleyards were adjacent to it. The amendment Was then put, after some further discusison, and lost on thevoices by a. large majority, and the motion was carried on a show of hands.