COBDEN LIME WORKS

Grey River Argus, 21 March 1945, Page 3

COBDEN LIME WORKS

Progress League s Support discussion at general MEETING. After hearing an explanation by | the chairman, Mr. W. D. Taylor, of the proposed Cobden lime works scheme, the members of the Westland District Progress League, at a general meeting held last evening, passed a resolution with one dissentient, pledging the League’s whole-hearted support. The meeting was attended by nearly forty members. Mr. Taylor said that it. had been inferred that he had sought to use the League for the purpose of advancing the interests of the syndicate which proposed to use the works, and for which he acted. He wished to give a complete and utter denial to that statement. The syndicate proposed to spend £30,000 to £40,000, he said, in bringing in waste land and bad secured a lease of 30,000 acres at Addison’s Flat. Mr. McLeod, who was interested in the syndicate, had experience in dealing with soils extending over many years, and he was interested in lime works in the North Island. After Mr. McLeod had approached him professionally, on the matter, last November, he had asked Mr. J. Mulcarc, Chairman of the Harbour Board, to call a special meeting of the Board to discuss the use of stone at Cobden Quarry. Mr. Mulcarc had told him then—and he did not blame him for this —that he was opposed to the establishment of additional lime works, and would fight him all the way. Mr. Taylor said that he could have called in the League at the time, but he thought it would have been suggested that he was using his professional interest in the matter. He probably would not have brought it up with the League at all. but' for the intervention of the Buller Progress League. He had then discussed it with members of the Executive and an executive meeting had been held, with Mr. McLeod present. From that meeting representations had been made to the Prime Minister, this action being later approved by the Council. Mr. Taylor added that the matter was one of some difficulty and delicacy for him, but it affected the welfare of the district, and he felt that he might have been blamed by the members of the League if he had failed to bring it before them. Mr. Taylor later indicated that, if it was proposed to discuss the question, he would prefer to leave the chair. At the suggestion of the Secretary (Mr. J. Saunders), he read to the meeting a statement, prepared by Mr. McLeod, detailing the merits of the various possible sites for lime works suitable for his purpose. The one thing that Mr. McLeod must have for his scheme was very cheap lime, Mr. Taylor said. For this, it was necessary to have advantage of cheap power, facilities for loading I the lime direct into a central position from which advantage could be. taken of cheap railage, and suitable accommodation for workers. The statement set out ways in which sites at Cape F’oulwihd and Whitecliffs, Buller Gorge, fell short in these directions, and said that thq absence of power and suitable accommodation at the la’tter would involve the expenditure of an extra sum of about £12,000 compared with the Greymouth scheme. The company would be able to supply existing farmers with cheap and prompt, supplies. Where . the price was cheap, thousands of tons of lime were used compared with where the price was dear, as on the West Coast.

Mr. J. Doyle said that it. appeared, from the statement, that the works were, ultimately, to supply the whole of the West Coast. “Here is progress being handed to us on a plate,” said Mr. R. P. Chibnall. “I don’t know what we’re quibbling about.” The League should do everything to assist the company in getting into action,” he added Asked by Mr. T. Pratt, what the points were in opposition to the scheme, Mr. Taylor said that it had been claimed that the present compa-uos could produce all the lime that rhe West Coast required. That had been criticised by Hon. C. F. Skinner, who had said it was plain that me present. companies could not prov.de tlm lime for a scheme such as Mr. McLeod contemplated. .He looked with difficulty for some explanation of opposition' to the scheme. When two chain stores had started up in opposition in many places, he said, both had done a thriving trade. Similarly, he thought that, if Mr. McLeod’s scheme were going to be a success,- it would make the local lime companies m making farmers more lime-consci-ous than hitherto. Mr. Pratt said that the Trades Council would be discussing the scheme and would have to dec de its attitude, and he thought it would', he appealed to on the grounds t.mr Ihe present works were co-operative ones. He thought the trade union movement would have to decide the question: Were they in. favour of the industrial and agricultural development of the West Coast ? If, they were, they would .have to support the new scheme. Referring to opposition on the grounds that the company would squeeze out the Ross Comnany, he said that he thought that, if the new company we're successful, the Ross Company would be in a position to compete successfully in South Westland.

At this stage, Mr. G. R. Harker moved that the League wholeheartedly support the scheme as outlined by the chairman, saying that he thought they should not “put any sprags in the wheel” of the neve company. Mr. McLeod had said, in an address, that he did not intend to go south of Ross —he thought he had even said south of Hokitika. If farmers became lime consc ; ous, the Ross company should be able to supply tha ? district.

Referring to a .possible expenditure of up to £150,000 on waste lands if the Addison’s Flat, scheme were successful, Mr. Saunders, the secretary, who seconded the motion, said that. Mi-. McLeod claimed that the area between the sea and the hills at Kumara would be sufficient to return to the district, the-equal or more of the total royalties on the West Coast from coal, gold and timber. He read letters from Mr. F. Donovan and from the Harbour 'Board Employees' Union, supporting the scheme. Mr. Donovan said he was sure that many •of the farmers not tied to the Ross Company would favour it. Last year he had paid £7 7s 6d for a six-ton lot of mixed burnt lime and carbonate. The R'otomanu Branch of the Farmers’ Union advised they had not yet discussed the League’s letter regarding the matter, while the InchbonniePoerua Branch wrote saying that the branch was not in favour of the scheme, as the members felt that they were well served by the Ross works. T , Mr. J. B. Kent suggested that AH’. McLeod be waited or.< with a propose that he establish an experimenta station near Kumara. . Mr. Doyle said he was not convim ed by the statement, that the co pany did not propose to go any t ’•her than Ross. If it got EO in S' 5 would probably produce lime c ‘ l . e w. t n ’ and if the farmer could get it al ton, the existing works woukl <- - to go out of existence' Care <■

be taken to avoid a stranglehold. He wanted to know what the ultimate result would be if the small industry of the farmers was crushed out of existence.

Mr. F. A. Kitchingham said that the district had to be developed if it possibly could be. He had taken out figures to show how sick the farming industry was. In the 16 J years before 1943 the number of cot- | tie on the West Coast had increased by only one and a-half per cent. ' Dairy farming had slipped back and i dozens of dairy farms had been turn!ed to dry stock. In the 16 years the number of dairy cows in milk had failed by two per cent. The number of sheep shorn had gone up by six per cent, and the number of lambs tailed by 42 per cent. The number of pigs had fallen by 12 per cent. Apart from: the sheep industry, farming was exceedingly sick. If they could do anything to improve it, they would be doing something for posterity. Mr. M. R. Aldridge said that there were 200,000 square miles in South Westland thirsting for lime and he understood that timber lorries were not allowed to back-load lime. He felt that everything previous speakers had sa'd was perfectly true. If the proper transport were arranged for, there would be room not only for the Cobden works, but Ross would be able to provide for the requirements of South West'and. Mr. A. Mosley said that the. League was in existence to further the interests of the district. The Ross works had apparently made little progress and could not claim to have done much for the d'strict when so much of it was in need of cheap lirne. In reply to a question, Mr. Taylor said he had been assured that there would be no dust nuisance if th e Cobden works were established. Mr. Harker’s motion was then put to the meeting and carried with one dissentient.