Cobden Lime Project Is Rejected By Federated Farmers

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 August 1947, Page 7

Cobden Lime Project Is Rejected By Federated Farmers

Only three of a total of 15 branches represented at a conference of West Coast Federated Farmers at Greymouth yesterday afternoon gave their support to the project advanced by Mr G. L. Johnston to establish at Cobden a lime works to aid in the development of pakihi land near Westport and to fill the gap between present West Coast lime production and requirements.

More than 50 farmers heard submissions by the promoter and the Westland Progress League advocating the establishment of the Cobden works and by members of the directorate of the Ross Co-op-Lime Company and other interested parties opposing the scheme, before they rejected the proposition and thus endorsed the views publicly expressed by their leaders in seeking to prevent the estab- <b lishment of the Cobden project.

The meeting, which began yesterday morning, did not conclude until after 5 o’clock last evening, and, with the exception of a short luncheon adjournment and brief digressions to deal with other matters, lime was the topic under discussion from the. opening to the closing of the session.

Though the gathering was, officially, the first quarterly .meeting of the executive of the West Coast Federated Farmers, the publicity given to the lime controversy and the meeting of the opposing interests at the meeting, brought an attendance of over 50 farmers—almost thrice the number of the executive cpmmittee —from all parts of the province, including Westport and Wataroa. When branches expressed their views, it was obvious that there was a cleavage, with Westport supporting the scheme on the one hand and southern branches, led by those of South Westland and Hokitika, oh the other, being strong in their support of co-operative endeavour. As a result of the conflicting views expressed, verbal clashes were by no means rare.

The three three branches which supported the Cobden scheme were Westport, Barrytown and Rotomanu. Progress League’s Actions: Attack And An Explanation “The Progress League is not. concerned who provides the lime or where it is produced, so long as the farmers get adequate supplies for their needs cheaply,” said Mr W. D. Taylor, president of the Westland District Progress League, when invited to speak for the league at the meeting of the farmers’ executive. Mr Taylor added that 10 samples of the limestone in the Cobden quarry had been taken by an officer of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and he had been advised by telephone from the Dominion laboratory that . the samples showf 1 nothing under 71 per cent, and i i to 82 per cent., with the avera'.e about 75 per cent. the subject of pakihi landsr ■ said Mr Taylor, he had been sceptical and had expressed this view’to Dr Marsden, head of the I Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, but Dr Marsden had informed him that the department was on the track of the secret of making useful land from the pakihi and that it might not be long before the work of investigation was successfully completed. Mr Johnston had not been brought back to Greymouth by business interests, said Mr Taylor. The secretary of the league (Mr Saunders) had received a complaint from a farmer whom he had met that he was unable to get lime, and had later happened to meet Mr McLeod, to whom he conveyed the complaint. Mr McLeod had told Mr Johnston, and Mr Johnston had come back. The Progress League had taken up the matter of lime supplies because of a published statement to the effect that the Ross works would have no option but to close. Mr Taylor thanked the farmers’ executive for the invitation to be present. There had been some hard words said on both sides, but the best thing to do now was to forget their differences and endeavour to do the best for the district farmers.

Trades Council Views

For the Trades and Labour Council, Mr T. Pratt said the council would at any time prefer co-opera-tive enterprise to private enterprise, and, if there was a shortage of limo and the farmers decided to get together and produce the lime themselves, they would have the support of the Trades and Labour Council in getting assistance, if it was needed, from the Government. He hoped that co-operative enterprise could supply the farmers’ needs on the West Coast without private enterprise entering into it at all. Mr Wallace asked Mr Taylor how the explanation about Mr Saunders meeting Mr McLeod and its result tied up with Mr Johnston’s story of the overburden, and also why the Progress League had not assisted the Ross Company to get the power to its works nor Mr Johnston to get started at Whitecliffs.

Mr Taylor said Mr Johnston’s reason lor coming back to "Cobden had been given to the meeting, and he (Mr Taylor), in explaining about Mr Saunders’s meeting Mr McLeod, had been telling the meeting the connection of the Progress League with the matter. Replying to the second question, Mr Taylor said that when the league was started, a farming committee had. been appointed, but the difficulties of farmers’ attending night meetings was realised. On July 13, 1945, a proposal ha,d been made to the farmers’ organisation that it _ appoint a delegate, who would be given a seat on the council of the league, but other than a reply from Mr Mulcare that the matter would be discussed at the next meeting of the executive, nothing had been heard of an appointment. If the farmers had approached the league for assistance the league would have been' happy to have helped them, he added, and it would also be happy to welcome a delegate from the farmers to its council. Mr Mulcare said that the matter was discussed and it. was left to the individual branches to Join or not. The farmers’ organisation covered a wide area and it was not considered

reasonable to have all branches from Karamea to South Westland in the league. '■ Mr Mulcare commented that the Progress League had been quick to seize upon one of his utterances about the possibility of the Ross works closing down, but it had not taken up any of his other statements aobut the need for housing and power.

Mr Taylor said that some branches of the farmers’ organisation were members of the league. Mr H. D. Beckett, a former president of the Farmers’ Union, said he had been appointed by the union to attend the Progress League council, but he had heard nothing from the league. Mr Taylor: We were not advised of the appointment.

Mr Mulcare: I do not dispute that, but Mr Beckett was appointed, and .the appointment was reported in the papers.

Challenge to Debate

“X challenge Mr Taylor and the Progress League to go with me before the Prime Minister and debate the question of co-operative enterprise in this question before the meeting,” said Mr M. Wallace, in the course of an attack on the attitude and actions of the Westland District Progress League in the lime question. “There is a chance for Mr Taylor and his Progress League, if he wants it,” lie added. Continuing, Mr Wallace asked if the Progress League would support the farmers if they decided to retain the co-operative works at, Ross and extend them to meet all the demands in the district for lime and the development of the works at Whitecliffs for the Buller area, with the same enthusiasm as they had given the Cobden scheme.

Mr Taylor: Yes. The Progress League does not care where the lime comes from or who produces it, as I said before. I am sure the league would be guided in its opinion by the objective—the greatest benefit for the district. Mr Wallace: Why has your league been so busy canvassing the Grey Valley and Totara Flat for support for Cobden and sowing the seeds of doubt and dissension among the farmers? w „ On the farms, added Mr Wallace, there .'wmre^nerL we= a^d. T , women and their sons and daughters going to the milking sheds every day of the week, year in and year out, with no 40houi’ week, while others “bask in the salubrious atmosphere of the 40-hour week and plan for the future of Westland.” The farmer on the West Coast had, after years of effort by the Ross Company, become. lime-conscious, and now’ private enterprise wanted to get in and “take the cream off it,’ Mr Wallace. Mr Taylor said that the Progress League did approach farmers concerning the lime situation, and 50 farmers had said that they could not get the lime they required. This had been done to ascertain the position in regard to supplies. Mr M. Mcßride, a representative of the Wataroa branch, said that on behalf of his branch he wished to deny a statement made at a meeting of the league that the farmers at Wataroa were not concerned where they secured their lime. They wanted to get their lime from the Ross works and they were in favour of co-opera-tive enterprise. At this stage a telegram was handed to the chairman from the Inter-Wanganui Dairy Company stating that the shareholders in the company strongly opposed the establishment of the lime-works at Cobden in opposition to Ross. Mr P. Hansen (Wataroa) said that at a meeting of his branch the members had supported Ross as against Cobden. 1 Ross Company’s Plans “If we were given the opportunity we could guarantee to every fanner all his lime requirements, ’ said mi J E. Jellie, the chairman of directors of the Ross Company. “We have taken no exception to the proposed establishment of the lime-works at Whitecliffs, as that would be of seivice to Buller farmers, and the Ross plans for extension of the works have not been brought about by the proposal to establish a lime-works at Cobden. This organisation calhn o itself a Progress League has taken up one side of the question without acquainting itself with the othei S Mr Mulcare, a former chairman of directors, had been attacked on all sides because of statements he had made about the Ross works, said Mi Jellie but Mr Mulcare s statements bad been misunderstood. Mr Mulcare had given great service to the district in the matter of lime, and he (Mr Mulcare) knew the farmers had to be roused to take an interest in the Ross enterprise. Mr Mulcare had said that the works would have to cMse ■without Government assistance, but Mr Mulcare had known that they would not close, and he had no mandate from the shareholders to make such a statement, but he had roused the farmers so that Un excellent attendance was secured for the annual meeting. It was then that the extensions were planned and the delay had been caused by circumstances over wmeh the Ross Company had no control. The plant was there on the. job now, capable of producing 20,000 tons >of lime a year, said Mr Jellie, out the power was needed, and the company was now negotiating, for the purchase of a generating unit. Mr Jellie said he was sure that when the power was secured they would have to appeal to the farmers to buv lime. If they put through 10,000 to 15,000 tons a year, he dicl not Know that the demand would be

there. The need was there, but the company had to work- on the demand. Ross wopld be prepared to give to the farmers any type of lime they required. Mr Johnston asked why the fears about an opposition . lime-works. Would it not be fair to the farmers to give them their choice? Mr Jellie: We think there is not sufficient' room in this area for two such works. Mr Johnston reiterated that he would not be asking farmers to buy lime ‘ from Cobden unless they thought it would be a good proposition for them. ' Mr Mulcare’s Views Reference was made by Mr J. Mulcare to the costs of the -product. Years ago, lime cost £2 5s a ton, but this had been reduced to 24s a ton, —not 29s as had been stated in some quarters.- He mentioned the difficulties the company had had to overcome, including housing of the staff and power with which to operate new equipment. “All the help we got from the Government,” he said, “was some money which was lent to us on interest. If we could not do the job it was through no fault of our own. If it was good enough for the Government to bring power to the West Coast for gold dredges and for the Government to provide houses for sawmillers and coal-miners, the same consideration should have been extended to help farmers obtain lime. “I would like to help Mr Johnston personally,” said Mr Mulcare, “but it would not take long for a new works at Cobden to close down our little show. There is no room for two. We all know what happened to the meat industry in New Zealand. It can’t happen to the dairy industry and the lime works should be controlled in a similar manner.” “Your little show can produce the 'goods,” stated the secretary of the company, Mr J. W. urging- farmers to' protect their own capital. “If you have to seek assistance from outsiders, then there is something wrong with farming.” Following the defeat of Mr Johnston’s proposal by 12 votes to three, the chairman, Mr Martin, indicated that the matter should act as a whip to the Ross company. “If you don’t deliver the goods,” he said, “you may, be called on to face a similar position in a few years and then the decision of the farmers may not be so favourable.” , „ . r, x “Few Knocks in Past “I have had a few knocks here and there and I daresay I can survive this one,” commented Mr Johnston after the farmers reached their decision. Prior to this, Mr Johnston had indicated that while the support of the farmers was important in respect to his application to the Land Board for permission to work lime deposits on the Crown land at Cobden hill, he was still able to establish a works on private land if he so desired. “If the Cobden hill had not been Crown land, I would not have been here today,” he added.