The Fielding Star. Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1911. Compliment to a Chinese.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 1403, 30 January 1911, Page 2

The Fielding Star. Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1911. Compliment to a Chinese.

One of the most remarkable incidents in the history of New Zealand took place in New Plymouth the other day, when Chew Chong was entertained by citiaens and farmers and presented with an illuminated address signed by 85 representative settlers of North Taranaki. Of course, everyone who knows anything at all about the history of the dairying industry in Taranaki knows who Chew Chong is and what he did for the industry in the days when it needed all the encouragement it could get. And it is an outstanding fact that it is a C/Mnaman who must for all time stand as the father of this great industry in our foremost butter province. Chew Chong helped it along i nthe long ago when it was a very lame dog, and, by his foresight, courage, and enterprise, he was the means of laying the foundation of the modest and more than modest fortunes of many a man in Taranaki. One of *he incidents of those early days he tells himself in speaking of the preparation for the first butter factory (at Eltham) erected in Taranaki —

He had decided to have the factory's machinery driven by water power, and to obtain the necessary power a tunnel had to be driven. This was let to contractors, who, however, encountered so many big rocks that they gave up the job. Mr Chong, however, nothing daunted, undertook the work himself, and his quaint description very much amused those present. He said he ordered about 401b of dynamite and went into the tumiel himself. As he had been informed that dynamite was better if kept warm, he always carried his supply in his trousers pocket! Many were horrified, and told him he would be blown up—but he was not. Moreover, he succeeded in putting the tunnel through, although it was a tremendously difficult job. Chow Chong is an unusually inter-

esting Chinaman, and not a few

people who know him well have forgotten long ago that he is a Celestial, so different has he shown himself from the Cantonese who shopkeep all over our fair land. Chew Chong—who is now well on in years, for he has been in New Zealand nearly half a century —spent his first three years knocking about the South Island. " Then he worked his way up to Wellington, and there he was struck by the possibilities in the despised fungus trade. He went into it for all he was worth.— and it proved of so much worth to Chew Chong that he became the Fungus King of New Zealand, although he showed tlie. way for many ! of his countrymen in this, as he showed the way to Westerners in the dairying industry. It was a Maori who told him that Taranaki was plenteous in the delectable fungi. In his third week up there he paid out £65 one day for this stuff (at the rate of 5s per bag), arid soon he had stores going at New Plymouth,, Inglewood, and Eltham.. His enterprise in this direction helped along many a struggling settler during a bad time. Then came his first butter factory in 1887 (''Jubilee" brand), and he got 9os'for his first shipment to London when farmers' butter was bringing 70s; and two years later he won the first and'second

prizes with his butter at the Dunedin Exhibition. But from now on his pathway was not strewn with .roses. Here is his tale of woe and owe—

The first year I gave 2d a gallon for milk, and lost on it, as it was too expensive to manufacture, though butter sold locally at Is 2d and Is 3d. Next year I had to give 3d per gallon, butter was a bad price, and I lost over £1000. While there were few cows, I was asked to erect creameries. I erected three; but when cows were plentiful, they started co-operative factories. I had to give -}d per lb extra for milk to secure trade, and even then I could not get much. 1 lost over £7000. I stuck at it for sixteen or seventeen years, but lost over £7000. I think I have been treated very shabbily. Why did not the cooperative people buy me out, even if they had only paid half the cost of my plant? As a matter of fact, they said "Look at J oil and the Crown Company; they are making fortunes!" Well, I lost mine. My ten separators were sold at the foundry for 2s 6d per cwt. I have done the country good, because since the establishment of dairy, factories the value of land has grown like a mushroom. It is reported that old settlers in other parts of the province intend to pay further compliments to Chew Chong in the way of illuminated addresses. But, judging by the tenor of his speech at the first presentation ceremony, it seems as if a purse, with something in it, should com© from the men who have grown from poverty to affluence through following the track blazed by Chew Chong from China.