WHAREROA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 5 October 1925, Page 6

WHAREROA.

(From Our Own. Correspondent). The weather continues rough, cold and boisterous. With the exception or a few days latelythere has yet been little indication of spring, and the pastures remain pratically dormant save for their assuming a slightly more perceptible tinge ot green. JLhe ■ cowo are producing little more than half their normal supply for this period of the year, and the question which is the most paramount to the .average dairy farmer is: Will they come back to their ordinary standard of production even if the weather changes for the ■better? The studied opinion of most farmers is that they will, not, except in the case of the highly-conditioned late calvers. Consequently it looks as though the harassed “cockie” will hare a poor season, in spite of the high prices ruling for produce. Then there is the additional trouble of the seamen’s strike, with the possibility of the failure of the transport of our cheese ' and butter and the consequent cessation of our progress payments. It is enough to make the circumscribed iqan on the land turn with an envious eye to those privileged watersiders who received 15s per hour for salvaging the Kent recently, and who were entitled to average only £4O 10s per week on the job, whereas with a little more “broad flexible outlook” on tbe part of their employers they might have attained to the fair round wage of £SO per week, thus equalling the salary of a mere ordinary Cabinet Minister. The yeoman, or working farmer, stands midway between the insolence of capitalism on the one hand and the grosser tyranny of organised professionals on the other, and he gets the flying bricks from both sides of the road. I notice the County Council workmen are patching up the Whareroa road again, and not before due time, for the whole stretch from the Manawapou road to the hill near the Main South road was pitted with ruts from end to end. Nevertheless, this desultory patching never makes a. satisfactory job, and this much-used strip of road with the heavy factory traffic converging on it would surely warrant a permanent laying down with a sealed surface. The metal is obtainable within two miles of the spot, and a railway siding is just adjacent. It is hoped the summer will not pass before this strip of road, which is only about 50 chains in length, is thoroughly laid down to withstand the heavy wear and tear it i s subjected to. Also, the hill at Gill-Carey’s dam needs particular attention, for the grade is steep, and mtlst try the mettle of the many fac-tory-bound teams that pass over it. Only last.week Mr J. Thomlinson lost a very fine horse, which dropped dead at the summit of this hill, evidently having been overstrained in the long, heavy pull up the western side. It would seeinf comparatively easy to fill 1 up 10 or 12 feet of the hollow, as there is any amount of spoil available on the hillsides, and lower the brow of each side of the hill in the process. How- „ ever, this is a matter we confidently leave in the hands of the efficient foreman of works, Mr Muggeridge. Evidence of.the lateness of the sea- . ''son can be meen even in our . rtchen gardens. Broccoli, sown about twelve months ago, and planted out just before -Christmas, are only now hearting up. Rhubarb is only beginning to send out fresh stalks. Gooseberries, which in a normal season are fit for cooking in the last week of this month, are only just in the flowering stage, and a few anaemic bees are hovering around the bushes trying to get a little sustenance from the blossoms. This must be a disastrous -season for the apiarist. The 1 probability of Laving to go down to Wellington shortly to help to -ship our produce is exercising the minds of some of our- young men, ancl I think our district can be depended on to put a fair number of hefty helpers in the field if their services are required. It is to he hoped, however, that .matters will be settled amicably, and the country be spared the double shock of a stoppage of export in conjunction- with a bad season. If the blind leaders of the blind could but see that they, by. interrupting the normal arrival of foqdstuffs, are dealing a cowardly blow to their brethren in the Old Country, who are now obliged to pay, presumably, about 2s 3cl per lb for their butter and, over Is Id. per lb for cheese, these extreme prices being entirely' caused by the absence of regular supplies. The local factory manager, Mr. Chappie, reports that the manufacture of cheese is about one-third less than at the corresponding period last year. This will give an idea of the effect which the unprecedented spell of- bleak and sunless weather is having on the output. Political activities have not so far excited our community, although the Government candidate, Mr. Dickie, did visit us about six weeks ago. The meeting, however, was of a semi- . private nature, and was but sparsely, attended. We hope to have both candidates addressing us during the mon tli