LOCAL INDUSTRY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2214, 8 February 1886, Page 2

LOCAL INDUSTRY.

To the Editor. those who have the welfare of the district at heart, it is a matter of deep regret that no successful attempt has, as yet, been made to start an industry in Masterton that would give employment to our growing population, and prove lucrative, to the undertakers. In a district such as this,' numbering about 4000 inhabitants, it is absolutely necessary to introduce industries that will find employment for the lads and lasses that are growing up around us. In casually looking about to find an undertaking that should prove a financial success upon a small outlay of capital, I can see nothing to equal the manufacture of jam and pickles. I have not been able to ascertain the annual importation of these articles, but it is very large A great deal of jam is made in many families in the district for private use, but it would require' a systematic combined effort before they would be able to successfully compete with the prices at which the article is imported here. I venture to say that the amount of preserves consumed in the district is quite sufficient, to warrant a jam factory being started in Masterton. The question of its being a success rests mainly upon the quantity of fruit the district would be able to supply, and upon this point we have no official satistics to lay before our readers, but it is a well known fact that even with such a bad fruit season as this has been, there have been tons upon tons of fruit for Bale within the district ef Masterton proper. Judging also from the record of sales by auction of fruit trees at Masterton during the past seven or eight years, there should be thousands of fruit bearing trees, arrived at such a maturity a3 would produce a supply sufficient to make jam, in such a quantity as would render the introduction of a jam factory payable the first season; The very fact of a local industry of this kind being introduced into the district would give such an impetus to fruit growing that the many sections of land that are now j lying waste would be taken up by the cottagers whose property they adjoin, and | the thrifty housewife would soon find a nice little addition, towards liquidating her household expenses, or increasing j home comforts. In connection with this suggestion I would strongly recommend j that a meeting of persons interested be j convened with the-object of considering-! the advisability of forming a company for j the manufacture of jam. The first years' | operations need not necessarily ba of an. i extsnsrve nature, nor would it be, perhaps advisable to go in for expensive works, but all that is wanted is to get the undertaking started, and there is no doubt the supply would soon equal the demand, and a market for the product would have to be found outside of the diafcriqtySnoha cofnpany naughty well ta&e.m hand;, $Bua&lu)l8ly ita

curing from the best 'markets, frui for planting this present autumn. and prices could be obtained from She best growers and exporters, and tho_ Sec? retary of the Company could notify at what prices the same oould be supplied tp intending purchasers hero. The company could also import an additional, quantity for sale by auction or private The advantage of thiß plan would be that none but trees true to name would b<»t imported, and the purchase)* would bo sure of getting a good artiole at the. minimum cost. There are many other advantages that might be named,' that ft jam factory, would give to the, "district,' but I think sufficient has beict\ suid if satisfy readers that such an und evtakiiAjW would be beneficial. • I am &c., Industry.