THE WELLINGTON FARMERS' MEAT CO., LTD.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9575, 23 August 1909, Page 6

THE WELLINGTON FARMERS' MEAT CO., LTD.

THE QUESTION OF SITE. (To the Editor). • Sir,—Mr G. W. Leadley's letter to Mr J. C. Cooper, Chairman of the Company, published in the Age of Saturday last, gives a large •volume of most valuable and practical information and should convince the most sceptical that the Company has nothing to fear through the establishment of freezing works inland. The selection of a site in the Wairarapa is one that the majority of the shareholders should not have much difficulty in arriving at, though it |s possible that some localism may be imparted into the subject. Your correspondent, "A Resident," writing from Featherston, evidently has a penchant for Pigeon Bush as the most eligible place, and from a Featherston and Lower Valley point of view it would meet the requirements of shareholders southwards most admirably. Your correspondent opines that if works are erected at Waingawa it will be disastrous.to the, Company, seeing that most of the stock i& south of Masterton, and backs this up by stating "that 190,000 sheep were railed from the Featherston station last year," and. further, that Pigeon Bush is "practically the csntre of a district from which the stock came." Just so! But it is not by any means the '"centre"*of ! the district from which the Company will draw supplies. Taking into account the enirmous

area north of Carterton and extending through the Forty Mile Bush, including Pahiatua.Woodville and the southern portions of Hawke's Bay, Alfredton, Puketoi, Bideford, Akitio, Castlepoint, i»nd south to the latter along the East Coast so far as Flat Point, from which stock can be obtained, I venture to think that "A Resident" 'must be labouring undet a misconception as to Pigeon Bush being the centre (except for the Lower Valley) of the district which wili be exploited for freezers. All the requirements pointed out by Mr Leadley exist at the Waingawa site, and in addition the establishment of stock sales at Solway, not far from the proposed works, is a factor which should not be lost sight of, for these sales will be the means of a great number of stock being yarded there, and attracting buyers and speculators from afar, who, i! they so desired, could have their purchases slaughtered and frozen with a minimum amount of trouble. The close proximity of the site 1 to the Masterton tforough Abattoir is also a point worthy ,of consideration, for buyers ot fat stock, butchers and others from Wellington and the local townships Bouth of the Waingawa river, could i have the animals slaughtered under inspection. In fact, it is a question if some arrangement should not te I come to with the Borough authorities to|join hands and work in conjunction with the Freezing Company in regard to slaughtering stock for human consumption. The. statement at the end [ of. Mr L/eadluy's letter in reference to a shearing-shed in connection with the freezing works is of moment, fcfr it would give facilities to a number of settlers to get their sheep shorn under the best possible conditions with regard to classification and get-up of their wool, and would be a splendid school where farmers aind others could receive a' thorough and practical knowledge of ail things requisite in dealing with wool, and would far surpass any instruction given in a technical school.—l am 6tC " FARMER.

(To the Editor). Sir. —I have been waiting to see somebody else besides "Brother Scot' answering "Canuie ocot's"J letter. There being no other reply I should like to give "Cannie Scot" and others who are sitting on th<? fence the reasons why we ought to have our own freezing works, and what the advantages are. First: More c.i.f. buyers who are bound to create more competition for our fats. Secondly: We shall have more sheep and lambs sent out of the country, which will enable us to keep more breeding ewes. Thirdly: If the new works are started we should be freer to be able to decline the offers made by the companies now operating in this district. Mr Editor, and "Cannie Scot," would you believfe this, or do you know it, that there are farmers in this district who are frightened to take shares or a prominent part in the floating

of these new works for fear that the Freezing Companies' buyers will boycott them for the next few years. Two rather large farmers have told me so. "Cannie Scot" is either a shareholder in another company or cannot see any farther than the point of, his nose if he cannot see the advantages that the new works will have for the benefit of farmers. Just look at these few facts:—First: Thirty per cent, the taxation of our farms by the Government and no opposition made too it—farmers satisfied. Secondly: A remit to the Farmers' Union asking the Government to take over the freezing works. Thirdly: This new company started with two or three farmers about six weeks ago, and over £30)000 worth of shares taken up in so short a time in these hard times. Do not these last two facts show conclusively how dissatisfied the farmers are in this district? "Brother Scot" states that Canterbury buyers take from 30 to 351b lambs. He would have been nearer the mark if he had put 28 to 34 for the first draft of fat lambs, the first draft averaging about 321b.; —I am, etc., ENTHUSIAST NO. 2. *