THE WELLINGTON FARMERS' FREEZING WORKS SITE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9576, 24 August 1909, Page 5

THE WELLINGTON FARMERS' FREEZING WORKS SITE.

To the Editor. Sir,—ln reading the letter in Saturday's Age, signed "Resident," I hope if he is a shareholder he will himself take the advice he gives to others. fie asks shareholders to open their eyes and take a broad view of it, while he himself is lookin? through a pair of spectacles with "Fdatheraton" written across them. Well, sir, I will endeavour to point out that of the Wairarapa sites suggesetd the Waingawa is the only one that is practicable. Mr Leadley, in his expert letter, gives three important points, namely—Railway facilities Water supply, and Drainage. All three are well supplied in the Waingawa site, but there is another most important point to be considered, and that is the "rejects." Whatever benefit the works may be to Masterton, Masterton will be absolutely necessary to the works, as it will provide an outlet for the rejects both daad and alive, and byeproducts. The proposed Waingawa site is situated within four miles of Masterton, and five of Carterton, The butchers of bsth towns could draw the meat they required each day from the works. The population by the census three years ago, which is the last available return, was— Masterton 7,500, Carterton 1,150; and Featherston 740, which wou Id give a population drawing meat from the Waingawa Works, 8,650, which would easily consume all the rejects available, while on the other hand Featherston with only a population of 740 there would be no means of disposing of the rejects locally, which would be a serious loss to clients. For the benefit of town people, in speaking of rejects, I would like to mention that they are generally the primest of the sheep. For instance, in driving sheep and lambs along the road, the heaviest and fattest are liable to lag behind and get nipped by one of the drovers' dogs, and through a small disfigurement such as a bruise or bite, the whole carcase is unfit for the London market, but to cut up locally it is the primest of meat. Of course diseased sheep are condemned and prohibited for consumption, and used up in the manura works. In the case of live rejects, they can be drafted back to Masterton saleyards and sold to the best advantage, while at Fdafcharston, being a dairying district, there would be no local sale for them. With regard to byeprcducts, Masterton would supply a ready market for such tit-bits as kidneys, livers, sweetbreads, brains and tongues, etc., whiia at Pigeon Bush they would have to be wasted. Mr "Resident" speaks abouf Pigeon Bush bems? the end a-id practically the centre of the district. I should like him to explain how it is possible for a site to be at the end and also the centre. Mr Leadley, in his 1 tter, advises the works to be built as near the centre of the stock

supply as possible. Well, sir, what could be more central than the Waingawa; it is the nearest possible point obtainable for the Wangaeha, right up to the other side of Alfredton ; also the Bideford, from the back forward, all the Tenui and Gladstone districts right out to the coast In fact it is the nearest possible centre for three-fourths of the stock produced in the Wairarapa, which would be driven straight to the works. Mr "Resident" states that it would be cheaper for farmers to rail stock from Featherston to Wellington than, to the Waingawa, so therefore they would send their Btock to Wellington. How he cornea by that decision it is impossible to understand, aB. anyone who has gone down the line and over the Rimutaka would know that it is absurd to make sucfr a statement. There is another most important point which requires careful consideration, and that is, that the Wellington Meat Company already hold a block of land at the Wafngawa which provides every facility for starting works, and if they were to find that the farmers' works have cut off their supply, they would, in my opinion, probably start at the Waingawa, which would mean, if the farmers' works were at Pigeon Buib, the "new" meat export works being built in a more prominent centre would intercept and cut off their supply. While on the other hand if the farmers' works are built on the Waingawa site, the Meat Export Company, if starting there alsov would gain no advantage through position. There is also every facility for utilising electricity at the Waingawa, and as Mr Leadiey suggests a shearing shed would pay handsomely as the district all roard is settled by sheep farmers, who could reap the advantages of having; their sheep shorn, their wool classed* or scoured by experts at the companyd' works, and prepared for market to the best advantage. I would also suggest a bacon factory in conjunction with the works, which would greatly benefit the dairy farmer and utilise all the stock produced in the district. In my letter of last week I brought forward the advantages of a i inland site, which Mr Leadiey has since endorsed, and as none of the points have been challenged it is not necessary to add furth r comment at present with the exception of stating that a portion of the Argentine meat which competes against New Zealand in the London market is railed from 2,000 miles to 2,400 miles from t&e freezing works to the seaport which will prove to the shareholder that a few e*.-m tra miles of railage between the two sites is not worth consideration. In thanking you for space, I am etc.,, OBSERVER. Masterton, August 23rd, 1909.