THE PROPOSED FREEZING WORKS AT TAURANGA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2767, 8 April 1890, Page 2

THE PROPOSED FREEZING WORKS AT TAURANGA.

Special Meeting of Farmers? Club. A special meeting of the Waikato Far-, mers' Club was held at Cambridge on Saturday at 3 p.m., for the purpose of meeting the deputation from Tauranga. There were present: Messrs G. E. Clark (chairman), J. Fisher, Jas. Taylor, R. Reynolds, Allen, Gillett, Brunskill, Gane, Suttor, T. Hunt, Arnold, Wells, Caley, Sandea, Hunter and Judge Rogan. The Hamilton branch was represented by Messrs Primrose (chairman), Buttle and Runciman. The Tauranga deputation comprised Messrs J. Brown (chairman of Tauranga County Council), Pratt, Alexander, and Col. Dowell. These gentlemen had ridden from Tauranga over the Kaimai track, so as to be able to report upon its present state. The Chairman introduced the deputation and said the matter of meat freezing at Tauranga had been thoroughly discussed throughout Waikato, and he thought they were one and all in favour of the scheme, The Tauranga County Council had obtained the offer from Messrs Nelson BroH., and the deputation had come over to give them any further information they might require, and endeavour to bring matters to a head, and put the scheme into a tangible form so that farmers could be making preparations for the supply of sheep. Mr Brown said he was no speech-maker, but he would endeavour to give them the i substance of the scheme in as few words as I possible. The farmers of Tauranga found that with wheat at 2s (id and oats at Is lOd per bushel they could not make a living; they were therefore compelled to turn their attention to stock. But here again they found themselves handicapped, for some weeks the price of lambs in Auckland would be eight shillings and the very ne v t perhaps as low as three ; so there was no dependence to be placed upon that market. Seeinj, the difficulty in which they were placed, he wont to see Nelson Bros., and obtained the otter that had been submitted to the Club. When he returned a meeting was called and the offer discussed, and the conclusion arrived at was that with the assistance of the Upper Waikato the required gnrantee could be furnished. He and his friends had travelled over the track from Tanranga to Cambridge, which they found a very good one, the grade in no part of it being more than one in fifteen. He should be glad to answer questions and give any information that lay in his power. The Chairman : Will you give us some information about the harbour ? Is it a suitable one ? Mr Brown : It is one of the best in New Zealand, and Nelson Bros, are quite satisfied upon that point. There have been accidents in it, but it has always been the fault of the navigators and not of the harbour. The Lady Joscyln has visited it and did not find any difficulties. The Chairman : What proportion will Tauranga County guarantee ? Mr Brown : At the present we have only 5,000 guaranteed, but if the Bank of I New Zealand would join them he believed 20,000 would come out of the Bay of Plenty. The bank found a difficulty in giving a guarantee as they wished to sell their properties. The Chairman : If Waikato guarantees half the quantity required, will Tauranga do the other half ? Mr Brown : More than half if the bank will join in the scheme. If they would join for ore year I am convinced the industry would prosper, for when once it is established all the small farmers will immediately go in for sheep, and many thousands more than the guarantee would be forthcoming the second year. Mr J. Fisher: Have you good accomodation paddocks ? Mr Brown : The Tauranga County Council have already taken steps to secure suitable paddocks ; but there would have to be one at Kaimai and another just on this side of the bush. Mr Ramciman : How long would it take to drive fat sheep to Tauranga. Mr Brown : About five days from Cambridge town. - , The Chairman : The passing of the sheep at the yards seems to be a serious drawback ; for if rejected there would be no market at hand. We are told that in the South the sheep must be of uniform weight or they are rejected. Is that the custom with Nelson Bros. Mr Brown: Not that I am aware of. They refused to take beef in lieu of mutton, but they will freeze beef, and I think that will be a good market, for I know a gentle: man near Wellington who had 150 head of fat cattle to dispose of, and he offered a butcher the pick at £5 per head. The butcher picked out a very few, and the remainder were sent to the Gear Company, and averaged about £7 each, somewhat to the astonishment of the owner who thought the butcher would be sure to give a better price than the company. The Chairman : Will the cost of forming the road be a big undertaking ? Mr Brown : No. The length of the bad part is about 10 or 12 milos, and we travelled over it in about two hours. For a bush road it is the best 1 have over travelled over, and I have been in the colony 35 years and have travelled about a little. I would not mind undertaking to drive sheep over it in its present state. There are no dangerous olaces where sheep could fall over and get' killed, I consider the track from Te Aroha to Katikati a much more dangerous one. There is only one place on the Kaimai track that may be considered dangerous, and that could easily be remedied. Mr Sandes : It is a good road, and could easily be put in a good state of repair. The only question is one of expense, and that, 5f course, will rest with the Piako County founcil.

Mr Brown : The Tauranga county engineer says it will cost about £30 to put the road on our side of the range in a good state, but I should be inclined to go further than that and fell more trees. Our only difficulty is with the bank. The Chairman : We have the same difficulty on this side with the big companies. If they will not join in the undertaking the whole thing will fail. I think it is necessary to interview the directors, for it does not appear to be any use writing to them— they find it an easy matter to dispose of letters. I was under the impression that when the small farmers had guaranteed their maximum the Loan Company would have supplied the balance; but with the Freezing Company's offer in view we cannot depend upon them, as they will doubtless support their own concern. We must look to the future, and bear m mind where the work can be done at the least cost, and give the best profit to the farmer. My own impression is that the work can be done at Tauranga at less than half the cost—if 1 was to say what I really think I should say one-tenth-of at Auckland. A gentleman said to me the other day: "You Waikato people seem to think a lot of Nelson Brothers, but I can assure you they are a very different firm since the South British came to Napier." Well, perhaps they are ; they have met with what we want here, namely, healthy competition. The offer of the Auckland firm has been given purely undrtr pressure ; if Nelson Brothers had not made their offer, the Freezing Company would not have been so ready to come to terms; therefore he trusted the farmers would support the firm who have been the first to come to the rescue. Mr J. Fisher : I am afraid a five days journey will be too much for lambs ; they would waste considerably. That is a matter of importance, as lambs will make a big portion of the guarantee. Mr Brown : I do not think they would waste as much as going by rail to Auckland. I should be disposed to drive them without their mothers ; if there is plenty of water on the way I do not think they would waste much. I asked Nelson Bros, to reduce the number to be guaranteed, but

they replied they could not, as, if they made a start, they should upend £2,000 upon buildings : &c., upon the land. I have been over their works at Napier, and it is like a bee-hive. Everything is utilised, and it is from the small things that they derive their profits and not from the meat as most people imagine. , ~•■»> Mr Fisher: Many people agree with Mr Brown that the lambs get bruised in transit by rail, and then they are kept for a time to recover. We know what the Auckland paddocks are like, and I think the journey to Tauranga would not da them as much Mtr'Wells: It is different in the South. There they drive the sheep but truck the lambs ; the distance is about; 70 miles. Mr Reynolds : If lambs are kept a week in Auckland to get rid of bruises, they will waste twice as much as on the road to Tau-

ranga. ...;■■'' Mr Brown : I do not think farmers can expect the sheep to be passed at the farms. If the drover had bad days they would probably be bitten on the way, I think farmers can pretty well judge the weight of sheep ; if they are over 80 lbs I believe they range as second-class. ~,■■'' '<„ , Mr Fisher : I think it would be well for the Tauranga Council to communicate with Nelson Bros, re the weight question. The Chairman : What we want to know is if sheep of from 55 lbs to 70 lbs will rank as first-class. , , ! Mr Suttor: It seems impracticable to send lambs to Tauranga,- and' that will affect the guarantee. I have not had any complaints of lambs being bruised: on the journey by rail. ; ' MrT. Hunt: The small farmers will depend greatly upon lambs and culled ewes, they will have to breed their own supply J and they would get as much for- a lamb at weaning time as they would when they had kept it another year. Mr Buttlo : I think the majority of lambs are weaned before they are sent. : . . \ t Mr Wells: Mr Smith, of Greenfield, in Otago, sent a number of lambs away while I was visiting him—about 2,000— they were weaned 10 days before being sent, and weighed about 381bs each. The Chairman : I think we (Waikato and Tauranga) should make a joint application to the bank authorities. Mr Wells: The bank have a number of properties that are locked up, but they might be asked to commit themselves to send the proceeds of the estates, in sheep. Mr Hunt: If the bank want to sell they should give the guarantee. Mr Brown : We have had fifteen new settlers come to Tauranga district since this project has been talked about, for the purpose of sheep farming. The Chairman: Will, anyone propose that joint action be taken ? ,Mr Sutter : I don't think it is any use askine the Loan and Mercantile ; they want a guarantee themselves. : The Chairman : It is only a short tune since their agent said they had not room.for their own stock. Mr Runciman : Since that time they have arranged for a vessel to call at Auckland monthly, and if there is not sufficient room in one vessel the meat will be kept frozen till the next arrives. ' Mr Buttle : I think a joint deputation should go and see the bank directors. Mr Wells : That is the only way. Big bodies move slowly. Go and see the directors next week. Write ! But only to nay you are coming. Why the Tauranga scheme would enhance the value of many bank lands £1 per acre. Mr Gane then moved, "That Messrs Clark, Primrose, R. Reynolds, and J. Fisher, together with the present deputation from Tauranga be a deputation to wait upon the bank authorities, and endeavour to secure their support in favour ot the Tauranga scheme, the date to be mutually agreed upon."—Seconded by Mr Buttle and carried unanimously. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the Tauranga gentlemen for the trouble they had taken, and the information given on the motion of Mr Fisher, seconded by Mr Wells. Mr Brown briefly replied, and moved a vote of thanks to the chairman, which was seconded by Mr Pratt, and carried. The meeting then terminated.