NEW NORSEWOOD SALEYARDS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 273, 3 November 1916, Page 2

NEW NORSEWOOD SALEYARDS.

OPENED BY THE LOAN AND MERCANTILE.

Monday last marked a stage in the development of Norsewood and the surrounding district which should be of inestimable benefit to the settlers—the opening of the new saleyards by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company. The enterprise of the firm was well patronised, and no doubt in the' course of time the advantages of the sa.es will be fully recognised by those immediately concerned, and they will benefit and prosper accordingly. The site of the new y ards—the area, of which, is 2$ acres freehold—is at the corner of Odin and Gustavus streets, on the main load to Ngamoko, and for central situation and general convenience it is splendidly situated and should serve this prosperous locality for many years to come. Giving to its geographical situation, Norsew.ood is just too far away to be well served by the perodical sales in Dannevirke and Wa-ipukurau, and it was tjiis important factor which prompcBtl the mercantile firm concerned to launch .out in this new enterprise. That the venture should prove a boon to settlers goes without saying, aud by their consistent patronage of the local sales a filip should be given to the commercial operations of the township and the unrivalled prosperity of the district should be brought prominent.y’ under notice by the outside buyers and others who through this medium will be brought in close contact with it. The prosperity of the settlers and the district go hand in hand with the success of the sales—and the duty of the farmer to himself and the community is obvious. The Loan and Mercantile make a. strong point of the fact that they, act merely’ as agents between vendors and purchasers, none of. its staff are in any way connected with stock dealing, and all stock offered at the yards are the bona fide property of the vendors, whose names will be disclosed as required.

Coming to the yards themselves, the company claim that they will bear comparison with any similar accommodation between Weedville and Napier, and certainly there is ample justification for such a claim. The work was carried out by Mr. J. AV inlove, of Waipukiirau —a. past master in this class of construction—and it stands as a monument to his eraftmanship in this particular connection. For design, stability, and convenience, the yards are a credit to ah concerned, and an evidence of faith on the part of the firm in the future prosperity of the district. Though probably larger than present demands justify, it was considered that the time would come when yards of the present dimensions would be essential, and they were built for the present with au eye also directed towards the future. Accommodation is provided for 500 cattle and 2000 sheep. The sheep pens and cattle yards front Odin street, and the customary provision of races and alleys has been made to permit of easy drafting and yarding, everything being most convenient to facilitate the easy handling of stock. There are two a.leys in the sheep section, in which the pens are mostly 14 feet by 10 feet, while there are also larger ones ranging to 28 feet by 14 feet. In the space devoted to cattle there are also two alleys, with a separate line of pens 16 feet by 16 feet and 16 feet by 10 feet on the uotside of each right-of-way, while the centre block consists of 12 pens in sizes varying from 16 feet by 10 feet to 18 feet by 16 feet. Hie office for the transaction of business is situated at the rear of the yards, and further back are spacious bolding paddocks, three in number, for both sheep and cattle. These are securely fenced with posts and wire, and shou d serve the purpose for which they are intended admirably. Prior to the commencement of the sale, Mr. P. Moray Smith, manager for the Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. in Hawke’s Bay, formally opened the yards by making a few suitable remarks, thanking those favouring the company with such gratifying entries for the initial sale, and hoping that the yards would be of assistance in furthering the interests of the district. With one or two exceptions, all entries promised came forward, and the sale from the point of view of attendance of those interested, the number of stock, and prices realised prohaby constituted a record for the district. With the exception of a small pen or two of cattle, everything yarded was disposed of at highly satisfactory prices to vendors. The company quote sales as under: — Fat ewes, shorn, 24/5, shorn hoggets 22/6, wholly hoggets 30/-, forward ewes, f.m. to s.m. 31/9, empty cows, forward, £8 to £9 7/6, yearling steers £2 18/6 to £6 14/-, yearling heifers, good sorts, £5 5/- to £6 5;-, 2-year heifers £5 to £8 17/6, springing heifers £8 1/- to £9 15/-, cows and heifers in profit £9 1/- to £lO, Holstein bull £l2 5/-, Jersey bull £lO 2/6.