The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1877.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 49, 7 April 1877, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1877.

The question of local industries is one of such vast importance to every new district that we deem no apology necessary for alluding to it frequently m our columns. In our issue of Saturday last we entered upon the subject at some length m referring to the proposal of Messrs Bichter, Nannestad, and Co. to erect a flour mill .m Palmerston. It cannot for a moment be doubted that the establishment of such an industry m our district would be productive of good results ; but it must be remembered that the carrying out of any- uudertaking of magnitude requires the outlay of considerable capital, and necessitates the coming

J "o V-f 1 fivnt of s.->int; person or com- ! any v/ho will be prepared to take the initiative and find the requisite capital. In the case already referred to Messrs Richter, Nannestad, and Co., have done this. They have alroa»?y contracted for the machinery of their mill, and have pledged themselves to get it m working order by the time the next seat-on 's grain is ready for grinding. But every enterprise needs encouragement, and at no time perhaps ir, its history does it need it more than at its initiation. Whilst the'geueral public of a district usually hail with satisfaction the establishment m their midst of anything in-the shape of anew industry, it too often happens that the idea of individual responsibility is lost sight of. The individual forgets to ask himself the question how he can best contribute to the success of the industry, the establishment of which on merely general grounds he considers to be of local benefit. It is partly owing to this very cause that we. have so few manufactories m New Zealand, and to this cause may likewise! be attributed the failure of some large undertakings ' started at the first with a fair prospect of success.Many people are too conservative— or shall we go a step further and say — too selfish. Simply because they themselves have got on very well without such and such improvements or the local establishment of such and such industries, they^will not personally incur either trouble or expense to have "them" introduced. For example, the farmer perhaps who has heretofore raised only beef and mutton may not feel inclined to alter his regime and grow grain because a flour mill is about to be started m his district. He may like to see the mill m operation "for the simple reason that it will naturally tend to the prosperity of the district m which he v resides. He is perfectly aware that 'the mill will be useless without grain, and that there, will be no grain unless settlers grow it, still he fails to discover,- any' personal obligation m the matter, and because he thinks he can do very well by pursuing the same course as heretofore he inflicts a positive injury upon the mill-owner and an indirect injury upon his neighbours and himse'f. We do not for a moment say that the settlers of this district will act so ; on .the contrary, we liave good reason to believe that m the case m point .a large number of them will be found offering every encouragement and. assistance that lies : in their power to- make the enterprise a success. We desire, however, -to pointout to those who are inclined to be lethargic their duty m this as well as m other matters affecting the-es-tablisment and development m this district of local industries. Ours may be said to be a rising community; certain it is that the march of improvement is upon us, but it depends upoii our own individual as well as collective efforts as to how we keep up with that march. There are obstructions m our path of progress which require .to removed. To use a better simile, at different stages m our onward march, we are heavily weighted. These weights as they are come to have to be lifted and borne, "and though it maybe true that we have pioneers m the van who willingly submit their backs to the burden, it is not right that these should be left to do-all the carrying — every hand sho.uld be stretched forth to^assist them. In short, every individual member of our community should seek cheerfully to contribute his quota of support to whatever scheme or- enterprise is for the general good.