THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1909 THAT SITE QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9590, 9 September 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1909 THAT SITE QUESTION.

At the meeting of shareholders in the Wellington Co-operative Farmers' Meat Company, to be helJ at Pahiatua to-morrow, the question of site will, no doubt, be discussed. In a very emphatic manner the residents of Manterton have made it clear what they were prepared to do if the Company decides to establish its works at the Waingawa, but, of course, we have not been blind to the fact, at any time, that the Company will, and very properly so, too, consider its own interests purely when selecting ' a suitable site for the works. It is this fact that allows one to think that the prospects of Masterton being the town nearest to the site are exceedingly bright. So far as we can gather the choice of sites lies between Woodside and Waingawa, anl the latter appears to possess greater natural advantages, while its value from a strategic point of view cannot very well be overlooked. It i& said, and it seems to be the general impression, that as soon as the Farmers' Com-

pany commence operations that another meat company will establish works at the Waingawa, and any company that may have its works south of the Waingawa will suffer accordingly. Then there is the splendid response that the citizens of Masterton have made to a scheme submitted to them within the last few days. We can scarcely think that the Wellington Far neru' Meat Company will reject .£5,000, even if the articles of the Company have to be slightly altered in order to accept the offer. Then there are

various minor reasons which arc perhaps not so minor after all, win the Waingawa site should be chosei in preference to any other. In thesi days when the feelings of laboui generally have to be closely con suited, if anv industry is to pros per, it will readily be admitted thai it is a more easy matter to obtain suitable employees, when the works are situated close to an up-to-date town than if they were in some ! out of the way place. An experienced employer of labour, who has also seen much of labour conditions in different parts of the world, re • cently expressed the opinion to us that it was an enormous advantage to owners of any industrial w«rks to have them situated in or close to a healthy'town. where different forms of recreation couH be enjoyed, and the advantages of civilisation generally taken advantage of.

"A respectable married man " said he. "who has a family which he desires to bring up in decency will certainly come much more readily to a pleasant residential town—in fact

n I think more than twice before he will take his family to some out-of-the-way, God-forsaken place! You can depend upon it that very much less tro'ible is experienced in getting good, reliable men where there are pleasant surroundings than when the reverse is tha case. Masterton is a town that offers many attractions, and the existence of the engineering establishments in the town is a lact that should not be ignored." As many men so many opinions, but the foregoing quoted remarks are possibly worthy of more than passing consideration. The opinions of those who are experienced in meat freezing works are really the only views that can be regarded as being of an authoritative charactei. At the same time a very interesting | correspondence upon the site question has been published in our columns recently., and the letters of "Observer," who has closely studied the matter, are of a forcible nature. Everything considered there appears to be a very reasonable prospect that the works of the much talkedof Wellington Farmers' Meat Company will be established at the Waingawa.