FACTORY ZONING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 July 1939, Page 6

FACTORY ZONING

WAIRARAPA SCHEME COMPLETED

COMMISSION’S DECISIONS. SURVEY OF NEGOTIATIONS. ! The Executive Commission of Agriculture has, during the past few months, held a number of meetings with representatives of the Eketahuna, Mauriceville, Masterton and Featherston Cooperative Dairy companies, with a view to planning a system of zoning for the Wairarapa and adjacent districts. It was common ground that over lapping of cream-collection 'services existed in nearly all parts of the area, and that the unnecessary duplication of these services added considerably to the costs of the companies. There was also the difficulty created by suppliers transferring from one company to another, resulting in a condition of instability of supplies for all the companies. Some suppliers took advantage of the position to play off one company against another, and one result was intense competition among the companies for supplies of cream. It was recognised .that destructive competition of this nature was not in accord with the best interests of the suppliers or with the principle of co-operation in the industry. A PUBLIC UTILITY. The companies agreed that a dairy factory was really a public utility, and that a healthy neighbourly rivalry for quality, efficiency and results was preferable to open and destructive competition. To have two dairy factory companies competing for supplies and trying to entice suppliers from one another was as absurb as having two electric power boards or two tramway companies operating in the same area. The possibility of zoning areas to cream-cartage contractors, but leaving suppliers a free choice of factories, was discussed; but it was recognised that such a system would not afford stability of supplies to the companies, as well as being open to the serious objection that responsibility for any alleged tampering with cream, after it had left the farm, could not be sheeted home to the receiving dairy company if the cream had been collected by a contractor who carted cream for a number of companies. The general outlines of a system of zoning were adopted by the Commission, with the concurrence of the four companies, at meetings held in May and June last; but owing to certain matters having to be held over’ for further consideration, it was impossible to make any public announcement at the time. At a meeting held yesterday with the directors of the Mauriceville and Masterton companies, the Commission (represented by Sir Francis Frazer, deputychairman) finalised the zoning plan, except for the adjustment of some matters of detail. ORGANISIATION DETAILS. The plan envisages a scheme of exclusive zoning to single companies of the Wairarapa and adjacent districts, except for the area lying between Alfredton and the East Coast, in which both the Eketahuna and Mauriceville companies will operate. The Featherston company has been allotted a zone surrounding its own factory, and a similar zone has been allotted to the Eketahuna company. The remainder of the district has been divided into convenient blocks, which have been allotted to the Mauriceville and Masterton companies respectively. In order to minimise any disturbance of suppliers, care was taken to arrange the blocks in such a manner as to enable each company to retain areas in which it had at present a majority of suppliers. The plan was submitted to the joint meeting of directors held yesterday and was unanimously confirmed. The zoning orders will not be issued till the remaining matters of detail have been finalised, but the plan itself in all essentials has been adopted. Suppliers will be circularised by the companies concerned within the next few weeks. Previous to the meeting with the companies, the Commission received a deputation from the meeting of suppliers held at Carterton on June 30. The principles of zoning, and the methods adopted, were fully discussed and explained. The deputation, while expressing a preference for the existing position of affairs, assured the Commission that the suppliers would accept whole heartedly any decision that the Commission, after full consideration, might reach.

ZONING DISTRICTS BOUNDARIES AGREED UPON. . MAURICEVILLE & EKETAHUNA. 1. To the east of the WellingtonWoodville main highway, Mauriceville to collect all cream on the AlfredtonMauriceville road south of Alfredton, and Eketahuna to collect all cream on the Eketahuna Alfredton road as far cast as Alfredton. Both companies to be free to collect cream east of Alfredton.

2. On the Wellington-Woodville main highway, Eketahuna to collect all cream north of the property now occupied by J. A. Kelsall, and Maurice ville to collect all cream south of and including that property. 3. To the west of the WellingtonWoodville main highway, Mauriceville to collect all cream from the property now occupied by J. A. Kelsall to the Kaiparoro School corner, and on Falkner’s Road, Hare’s Road, Rout’s Road and Mangatainoka Valley Road, and all cream to the west of the roads mentioned in this paragraph. Eketahuna to collect all cream to the east of the said roads as far as Alfredton township, except that Mauriceville is to collect all cream produced on the properties now occupied by A. G. Golder and W. Blewett on the NireahaEketahuna Road and by A. Campbell on Cliff Road.

MASTERTON, MAURICEVILLE AND

FEATHERSTON.

1. On the eastern side of the Tauherenikau river, the Featherston Company is to have the exclusive right to collect and receive cream in an area bounded as follows:—Commencing at the Upper Tauherenikau river bridge, by a line running in an easterly direction along the Tauherenikau road to Morrison's Bush road, thence along I Morrison's Bush road to Moiki road.l thence in a southerly direction along! Moiki road to the Featherston -Martin ■ i borough road at BidwiU cutting, thence in a westerly direction along the Featherston -Martinborough road to its intersection with Te Maire road, thence'

southerly again along Te Maire road to its intersection with Kahutara road, thence in a straight line due west to Wairarapa Lake, thence running in a generally northerly direction along the shore of Wairarapa Lake to the Tauherenikau river and along the Tauherenikau river to the commencing point. The Featherston company to collect all cream on both sides of the boundary roads named, and the Masterton company to collect all cream produced in the area lying generally to the north, east and south of the Featherston company's area, subject, however, to the zoning boundaries to be fixed for the Masterton and Mauriceville companies.

2. On the western side of the Tauherenikau river, the Featherston Company is to have the exclusive right to collect cream, except that Mauriceville is to collect all cream on the Western Lake road and Underhill road and the continuation of Underhill road to the Tauherenikau river, also in the Borough of Featherston. This is subject to the zoning boundaries to be fixed for the Masterton ai)d Mauriceville companies, also to certain possible exemptions of individual suppliers in and near Featherston Borough, whose names will be forwarded to the Commission as being agreed upon by the companies.

MASTERTON & MAURICEVILLE.

1. Subject to the exceptions hereinafter stated, Mauriceville is to take all supplies in the areas lying generally to the north-west, north and north-east of the Tararua range and the Ruamahanga river, and Masterton is to take all supplies in the areas lying generally to the south-east, south and south-west of those boundaries and extending to the sea. 2. Masterton is to take all supplies in Rangitumau valley, Te Ore Ore, Te Whiti, Gladstone, Longbush and Ponatahi. and in the areas lying generally to the north-east and south east of the areas described. Masterton is to take also all supplies in the area lying between the Featherston company’s northern boundary and the Waiohine river, and in a portion of the area lying north of the Waiohine river and west of the Wellington-Woodville main highway and extending northwards to the “balancing line,” and in the areas lying generally to the west and south of the area lastly described in the next paragraph. 3. Mauriceville is to take all supplies in the area bounded by the Waingawa river on the north, the Ruamahanga river on the cast, the Waiohine river on the south and the WellingtonWoodville main highway on the west, and in a portion of the area lying south of the Waingawa river and west of the said main highway and extending southwards to the “balancing line. Mauriceville is to take also all supplies in the Martinborough area east of the Ruamahanga river (but including the Tawaha district on the west of tha>. river) and south of the junction of the Gladstone Martinborough road and the Hinekura road and extending southwards to the junction of the Tuhitarata road and the Lower Valley road.