The Northern Advocate Daily “Northland First.” TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1938. NORTHLAND FERTILISER WORKS

Northern Advocate, 4 January 1938, Page 4

The Northern Advocate Daily “Northland First.”

TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1938. NORTHLAND FERTILISER WORKS

Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper.

Now that all Governmental opposition, so far asi licensing is concerned, lias been swept on one side, Northland’s opportunity to establish fertiliser works at Port Whangarei is knocking at the door. The suggestion is by no means a new one. Ever since the Whangarei Harbour Board’s scheme of improvements revealed the possibilities of Port Whangarei as a manufacturing centre —ample area accessible to communication by sea, rail, road and air, with electric light, electric power, and municipal water available at reasonable cost—progressive men have visualised its possibility as a centre for the manufacturing of fertilisers suitable to the soils of Northland. More so is it suitable for such works as there are available in the vicinity of the site, large quantities of high-grade limestone, and other raw materials valuable to the fertiliser industry. Ideal Site.

We are of opinion that no other site in .New Zealand offers advantages equal for this purpose to those possessed by Port Whangarei. No matter whether the proposed works are for the ■manufacture of superphosphate or slag, or both, the same argument applies. If raw material has to be introduced into the country it can be delivered as cheaply to Port Whangarei as to any other port in the country and vessels plying’ here can be supplied with local coal. With the most mod-j ern works in New Zealand established on. this site, witli provision for every labour-saving device and economical handling, with adaptability for manufacturing the requirements of its customers, nothing could be more attractive as an investment to farmers than a proposal to establish a cooperative fertiliser works on this site.

Capacity Is Here Northland’s capacity for absorbing fertilisers has been published in these columns before. The total area of occupied land in the seven most northern, comities is 1,978,009 acres, every part of which, by making full use of all facilities available —■ rail, steamer, scow, barge, riverboat and road—can be supplied more economically from Port Whangarei than from any other works in tile country. During the discussions concerning the need for a fertiliser works in Northland it was said that the consumption here did not justify such an establishment. If one-quarter of the total area mentioned above receives a minimum of three ewt. to the acre per annum the quantity required will be 75,000 tons per annum. We, predicted before that as soon

! as the manufacture of the right fertilisers here at the price prc- . viously promised, is an aceomi plished fact the consumption I will rapidly grow to the figure |we have mentioned. We repeat j that prediction now. As to the i ability of the farmers of Northland to finance a proposition of this kind we would point out that the capital value of the seven counties, exclusive of boroughs and independent town districts, is £15,155,257. The latj est audited balance sheets of the I dairy • factories within the seven j counties of Northland show the value of factory buildings, plant land machinery, at £276.967. Fori the year ended June 30 last, these factories produced 47,730.7121b5. of butter, which was sold for £2,536,438, All these figures are exclusive of the Fodney, Matakana, Kaipara, and Waimauku units. It is estimated that the total value of the killings at Moorewa per annum amount to approximately £370,000, and the Northland wool clip may lie valued at something under £300,000. These figures, it will be observed, do not take into account fruit or anything else produced with the assistance of fertilisers.

What Of The Future? Here is presented a case with conditions as they exist lioday. What of. the future? If butter production has increased from 8493 tons in 1926-27 to 18.230 tons in 1931-32, and to 26,571 tons in 1936-37, how much will it increase in the next periods of five i and ten years? How much is our ( population destined to increase (in the near future when the provision of better communications and electric power become more widely known? If our population increases will there be a greater demand for fertilisers? These are the questions which any thoughtful committee will consider carefully when advising dairy factory suppliers to sanction the establishment of works at Port Whangarei. Northlanders have everything to gain by embarking on this proposal immediately. For too long altogether in the past have they allowed importing, exporting, and manufacturing firms from without to manage for them the affairs in which they are vitally concerned. This has been due very largely to the inferiority complex which has been allowed to dominate a progressive and enterprising outlook. By unity they can accomplish successfully any undertaking to which they apply themselves. Quick Action Vital. Quick action, however, is vital. The means should be immediately forthcoming from interested factories to enable the promoters to test the feelings of farmers regarding this undertaking. Before a power board authorises the reticulation of an area it first of all receives the necessary guarantee of consumption from that area; similarly before the promoters of the proposed fertiliser works authorise the undertakings to be proceeded with they, too, will receive the very necessary mandate from the farmers. We are not unduly optimistic when we say that that mandate will be forthcoming as soon hs the proposals are placed fully and fairly before the farmers. They know that fertiliser j works are just as vital to their interests as are their own dairy factories and their own freezing chambers. They know that Northland must be kept up to its productive capacity always and that their lands must not be allowed to deteriorate for the need of fertilisers. No better New Year’s gift to the farmers of Northland could be imagined than their own fertiliser works, economically constructed. properly equipped and well managed