CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VII, Issue 1312, 20 May 1886, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

i We do not. hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents. To* ensure publication, however, it will be necessary for writers to avoid personalities. -

To the Editor of the Star,

Sir, — In the various meetings and discussions re the utility of tbe New Plymouth harbor to the district, I have been surprised that Wellington has not been mentioned as an outlet for our produce. We need connection with the outside world to get rid of our cattle and sheep. There are but two places where this is attainable by means of ocean going steamers, viz., Auckland and Wellington. The former will never be of much use till the Stratford line is connected with the main trunk, on account of the number of handlings before reaching the steamer : — Ist, the stock is railed to Waitara or New Plymouth as the case may be; 2nd, it is shinped on board a steamer to Onehunga; 3rd, it is then railed to Auckland ; 4th, it is carted to the wharf and put on board the ocean steamer. On .the other hand, Wellington has no such drawbacks. By the end of this year at the very latest we shall be connected with it by a, through railway. Could we not erect a slaughteriug house and yards, kill tbe stock here, and send it dead to Wellington ? ' We put it on the trucks here, and it is not touched till it is lifted from the trucks on to the ocean steamers. Instead of four handlings you have only- one; and every handling means money. The saving; in time too would be great. For in twentyfour hours from leaving Hawera the meat would be in the freezing chamber. It might perhaps be necessary to erect a chilling chamber' here. Perhaps some might think the heavy freight would crush an. enterprise of this kind. I find on inquiry that it costs 2s Od a head to get sheep to Auckland. It takes on an average 30 6heep to the ton. Now if we reckon 30s a ton freight to Wellington,' that will be Is a head, and if we reckon" 455, that will only be Is 6d a head — in either case a saving. But, there is no doubt the Government would make special arrangements to ran special meat trains. If this plan be feasible, I leave it to the imagination of eaoh reader to picture the good it would dp tbe district and the whole of this coast. A constant and steady market will be within the reach of all, great and small, and a local industry would be started giving employment to many men. I have thus just roughly sketched a plan, needing little outlay, and, certain to p"ay if able tc be carried out. — I am, &c,

W. HEviNGHAai Root. St. Mary's Parsonage, Hawera,- May 18, 1886.