PAHIATUA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9714, 9 February 1910, Page 6

PAHIATUA.

PAST AND PRESENT. (Special to the Age). When some thirty years ago, a few haid working men found their way i to the spot where Pahiatua is now i situated, .little did they think that J in the hard toiling with the axe, j hewing down an immense forest of j heavy bush and scrub, a township of some 1.400 residents would be the outcome of their labours. A few old identities spoken to on the subject think the growth of this district has been phenomenal, especially during the past five years, since the dairying industry has been carried on to such advantage. Although to the dairying industry the prosperity of the district can be directly faced, yet even it has not yet been brought to the state of efficiency that can be obtained. Only during the past week, a cairy farmer of many years' standing stated that he considered the industry was only half what it might be in this district, and he considered in a few years' time, when a proper system of testing and culling cows was in vouge, one cow would produce nearly as much as two at the present day. BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The first Borough Council was constituatea in September of 1892 the late Mr Job Vile being elected the first Mayor, and the Councillors were as follows:—Messrs VV. ii. P. Hughes, G. JBotfcjinl y. ■•. W. McCardle junr., Alex Yule, J. Burroughs, J. D. Wilson, J Dawson, and H. W. Briggs. Of this number Mr McCardle has been a member of the Council ever since, and at the present time is chairman of the Works Committee. In the days of the first Council, a great many of the present well metalled streets witn their asphalt footpaths, were only tracks, not even properly cleared, and were veritable bogholes in the winter time, the rainfall then being much greater than is recorded at the present time, owing, it is stated, to the nearness of very heavy bush. Since then Messrs J. Burroughs, WTosswill, J. D. Wilson and D. Crewe have occupied the Mayoral chair, the last-named gentleman having occupied the position for the past six years, and ths Town Clerk, Mr G. C'. Miller, has occupied his position for many year 3. The area of the Borough is 720 acres, the unimproved rateable value being £97,500, and the 1,400 residents live in 360 houses. Some fifteen miles of streets and twelve miles of footpaths have been constructed, quite a number of the latter in the last year or two. The Main Street, which is three chains wide, and nicely planted with English foliage trwts and shrubs, and divided into squares, is frequently favourably commented on by \isitors to the town, who on enquiry, are told how it was once the intention of the Government to bring the railway through the centre of the town, but owing to rivers to bridge and part of the land being liable to flood, it was thought advisable to,take the railway line along the foot of the hills. Hence the Pahiatua railway station, much to the detriment of the town, is If miles away from the cenlre of the town. The Post Office, a very unpretentious building, is also situated in a spot out of all reason tor such a purpose, right at the southern end of the town. Of buildings in the Main Street, owned by gentlemen who reside here, it must be said to their credit that they are up-to-date buildings, and suitable to the requirements of the present day, but it is sad to relate that there are structures owned by outside landlords for which it cannot be claimed that they are of the latest pattern. It is to be hoped that within a few years these buildings will be rebuilt in accordance with the times. Playgoers would very much like to see a new theatre built, the present one, which was built many years ago, did not provide enough accommodation when a big company comes this way. Turning away from the Borough to the County, which has an area of 187,000 acres, old settlers, when giving their view- n.f the early days here, state that buying here at the present time., when viewing the fine homesteads to be seen in every district, have no idea of what the country was like even fifteen years ago. The ploughman with his team has altered the aspect of the distri :t, and it may be mentioned that many of the numerous acres that have been stumped and ploughed cost from £5 to £lO ,per acre to stump alone. Of the ,345 miles of roads in the County, very few portions are unmetalled, and practically every stream is bridged, and in this respect the Pahiatua County, which was constituted in October Ist, 1888, can lead the way to many Counties that have been in existence many years prior to 1888. Formerly the County was known as the Pahiatua Koad Board, and was a portion of the Wairarapa North Cuunty Council. The first Council consisted of the late Mr Job Vile, Messrs George Whitcombe, Uharles Avery, Thomas Miller, John Gardiner, Alex. Birnie and John Pinfold, with the late Mr Job Vile as chairman. Since that period Messrs G. Whitcombe, J- Griffith, R. Smith, S. Bolton and Tnos. Hodgins, have occupied the honoured position at

the head of the table, the last named gentleman, who understands County matters, financially and otherwise, thoroughly, is the present chairman of what must be termed a very active Council. The County, which is divided into five ridings, Mangaone, Pukenikau, Mangahao, Puketoi and Makuri, has a population of about 3,600. On the two first named ridings, the General rate is l£d in tbe-£, and the latter three ljd in the £, the first bringing in a revenue of £1,580, and the £4,417, a total of £5,997.

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY. As has been mentioned before, the progress of the Pahiatua district can be traced to the dairying industry, yet perhaps there are many dairy farmers w-ho ai-e now drawing good cheques monthly from this important industry, that have not even heard the names of the little band of struggling settlers, who first made a move in co-operative matters, and to whom the. district is deeply indebted for their efforts under the greatest difficulties. They are certainly deserving of special mention. Mr J. B. Tait, the first chairman of the Ballance uo-operative Dairy Company, when approached on the early history of dairying here, set forth the following facts, which extend back for a period of about fifteen years—The first factories were started in the Pahiatua district by Mr Herbert Chester at Mangatainoka, Konini and Ballance, and ran for two years. Messrs Cook and Grey then took over Mangatainoka, and Konini and Ballance was run by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., on behalf of the suppliers for one year. Forty tons of butter were manufactured, and the best price obtained in Loudon was only 935, The suppliers at Ballance then decided to manage the factory themselves, and Messrs A. Eddie and J. B. Tait were sent to Wellington to endeavour to make arrangements with the Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, and their journey was a success, inasmuch that they succeeded in leasing the Ballance factory, and the Makomako creamery. On their return the present . financial Ballance Dairy Company was formed, the directors being Messrs J. B. Tait (chairman), A. Eddie, J. Marriot, F. Groves, T. J. Williamson, J. A. Sinclair, J. B. Eaton, H. McLeod, and S. F. Reeve (secretary). The floating of the company was a very difficult task, it being very hard to obtain the recessary support by way of taking up shares. Finally all obstacles were removed, and the undertaking became popular and a success, After two years' running the company decided to extend its operations across the Scarborough Hill, and took in the rich dairying districts of Scarborough and Konini. At the latter place the suppliiers to the proprietary factory were very dissatisfied with the price (6Jd per lb of butter fat), obtainable, and when they lost a month's pay,, which even at the above price was a serious thing for the dairymen, they thought seriously of forming a company, but after several meetings had been held, it was finally decided to join issue witn the Ballance people. That this ste t j was a wise one has since been easily seen, for wh.le Ballance did the initiative work, Konini, which is looked upon as the king of thejjdairyingj districts, now manufactures more than twice as much butter as is made at the factory at Ballance, and has also allowed the company to take in the districts of Hamua and Hukanui. When one looks back at the quantity made in

the first stages 40 tons, and then to the height of the present season, when 115 boxes, nearly three tons per day, was turned from cream to butter, it is indeed a wonderful progress. One has also to take into consideration the various cheese and butter factories that have started in the district during the past few years. Other factories here besides the Ballance butter factories and creameries, are—Cheese factories at Mangatainoka, Ballance. Mangamaire, Mangarama, Kaitawa and Hinemoa, a butter factory at Mangatainoka and Makuri, and creameries at Makairo (2), Mangatiti, and Pongoroa. besides several small private factories.

Another step to further the interest of the district, was the opening yesterday (Tuesday) of the Horticultural and Industrial section of the Pahiatua-Akitio Agricultural and Pastoral Association, in the Drill Hall and the Agricultural Show today (Wednesday), on the racecourse. While the secretary, Mr J. A. Walsh, has displayed more than ordinary energy in connection with the Society's affairs, yet too much cannot be said of the battling that the president, Mr J. C. Cooper, had to do to rally the committees together when the Society was first formed. Mr Cooper has not been able to give the attention to Show matters of late that he would have liked, owing to the onerous duties that he has had of late, in connection with the Wellington Farmers' Meat Company, of which of course, he is Chairman of Directors. Of course, this being the first Show, one does not expect everything to be in apple pie order, and the committee, who are an intelligent lot, will no doubt rectify any mistake that may occur next year. So far everything has gone off without a hitch, and the very large number of entries received are most gratifying to one and all who are connected with the Society, which are in a like position as regards members, the total now numbering between 270 and 280.