THE FUTURE PROGRESS OF MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9999, 21 March 1910, Page 3

THE FUTURE PROGRESS OF MASTERTON.

AN INSPIRING SPEECH

The following is the "best prepared speech" with which Mr D. Hebcnton, of Masterton, won the public competition held in connection with the recent bazaar in aid of the St. John Ambulance District Nurse Fund:—

The future progress of Ma&terton depends on the increase of its local industries. Now this is no mere bold statement but one which can be proved. The dairy industry has taught New Zealand how a once languishing, despised and non-paying industry can be made a lucrative and well sought after one, if the means of manufacture is erected as adjacent as possible to where the raw material is pro-

duced. In short if the industry is localised. The fact of the erection

of a manufactory made dairying pay for miles around the dairy factory, on land where previously milking cows was ill paid drudgery. Masterton lies in the centre of one of the best sheep raising districts in the Dominion. What I would advocate is the applying of the rule which has proven a golden One in the dairy industry, and erect the means of manufacture of frozen mutton, as adjacent as possible to where the sheep are reared. Localise the industry and erect a freezing works (as we intend to do) near Masterton. I advocate applying the same rale to the woollen, leather, boot and felt industry. At present Masterton people have Carterton cheese, Maryborough boots, and Petone clothes, while everyone of these articles can be manufactured nere, for we produce the necessary raw material. The majority of orcb-

ards around Masterton seem more or

IeBS infected Viith blight and pests, and neglected, because there is no demand for fruijt except for immediate or local consumption. If a canning factory were erected in Masterton, it would give the necessary stimulus to fruit growing. People will look after and increase their orchards when they know they will be able to eat what they can, and can what they can't. JiJastertOD people have gazed on the Tararua ranges on many a winter's morning, when the snow decked mountains could nut bujt draw all eyes towards them. They looked but did no more—yet it was known tq mining experts in > the town that those ranges with their silvery canopy, contained the mineral which produces our highest valued means of exchange—gold—and in paying quantities, needing but capital and energy to make the mining industry a valuable asset to the progress of Masterton, by increasing our trade and population.

The necessary coal for working our manufactories is obtainable at Mauriceville. The existence of a manufacturing town so close as Masterton to Mauriceville will make the now perhaps scoffed at coal deposit a payable field. The small distance which it will have to be carted will enable us to get coal far cheaper than could Wellington. The erection of the factories-would cheapen the cost of living by producing article to the buyer not loaded with any tax tor railage. The money which is now ditributed in Wellintgon in paving wages to factory hands employed in manufacturing the raw material we produce, will be distributed among the workers here, and spent here, | when the industries are localised. The erection of these factories will mean a large increase in the popula-

tion and,wealth of Masterton. The evolution of Masterton from a town into a city.

The progress of science and the existence of our factory laws, is guarantee enough that the horrors of the industrialism existing in the Old Land wilt tiever be perpetrated here. So that the progress of Masterton will be true progress. Masterton's progress will necessitate that our means of communication by rail with the seaport town of Wellington must be improved. We all know the adage "God,or Providence, helps those who

help therhseles." With my readers' I permission I will alter that to "The Minister for Railways in New Zealand helps those who help themselves. '" Many of you no doubt may say, "Mr Millar is no merciful providence!" He may, or may not be, but he works on that rule. If Masterton had in the past awakened to its own importance, localise its industries, manufactured what it proi duced. and became a self contained

manufacturing city, with twice its •present, population, we would come under the list of places which the Minister for Kailways thinku helps

themselves. We would have the population and votes to demand a better train service, and no Minister would have dared to foist upon us rhe present "In Memoriam" train service, for economic purposes. "In memoriam" truly, for the trains are always late. If we go on as we have been doing poducing for the benefit of Wellington manufacturers, playing second fiddle to men who can not exist but for what we produce, helping to build up a congested seaport town, we will ever be a secondary consideration. We will ever be subjected to the special fumigation works, which exist under the name of the Rimutaka incline and tunnels. The only plea for retaining this monument of error, is, as far as I can see, to act as a fumigation works to prevent contagious diseases being taken to, or brought from Wellington. Every town is estimated by those outside it, at what it estimates itself. If the financiers of and they are many, have not enough confidence in their own town to

make it a self-contanied centre, by investing their money in local manufactures, thereby increasing Masterton's population and ensuring its progress, how can they expect the Government to invest public money in providing a Rimutaka deviation to give us a better train service. At present Masterton is not thought important enough to need a better train service than the present. sfet it is a large producing centre. It is not thought progresaive enough to warrant spending money to form a Rimutaka deviation, which saves seven miles in.the journey to Wellington, yet Masterton is a large producing centre. Wellington is thought important enough to duplicate line of railway between Petone and Wellington, at an enormous exenße, and Wellington is a mancfacturing centre. If then we make Masterton a manufacturing as well as a producing centre, we will be important enough to get a Rimutaka deviation. We will be able to demand it. We'will have twice our present population and wealth, we will have cheaper living, we will evolve from a town into a city if we become a manufaciunng city, so that I was right in saying at the start, "The future progress of Masterton the increase of its local industries.