Opua as Port Discussed by Farmers

Northland Age, Volume XVIII, Issue 77, 8 July 1949, Page 1

Opua as Port Discussed by Farmers

Export of Meat Favoured

When the remit by the Kaitaia Branch was brought forward which urged the opening of Opua as a port for overseas shipping, at the meeting of the Bay of Islands Sub - provincial Executive of the Federated Farmers on Tuesday, a like remit from the Okaihau Blanch was deferred owing to the fact that this branch was not represented, and the wording of their remit was slightly different in text.

Mr. C. B. Michie sponsored the Kaitaia remit and stated that there were certain implications in the Okaihau remit which he was sure would not meet with the approval of Kaitaia. “We cannot in Kaitaia support any effort to ship from Opua, butter. We don’t feel that any good service vyill be done to the north by the exportation from Opua of this commodity,” said Mi*. Michie. “There can be no question that we must press to have Opua opened for overseas shipping for our meat exports.” “Our butter is being quite well handled as we are situated at present, but the exportation of meat is very costly to us in the north, wher one considers the freight charges from Moerewa to Auckland. W< should concentrate on getting Opus re-opened as a port for shipment ol our meat,” continued the speaker “but we must not try to take too mud

j at the time. I feel that many of us ! are missing the main issue for matI ters of secondai'y consideration. “The time is not ripe to talk of fertilizer works at Opua,” stated Mr. Michie. “Such things will come in their right order. While we are reaching for the moon, we are missing the substance.” He went on to say that the opening of Opua as an overseas export port, would relieve "the shipping congestion in Auckland. Stevedores had told him that Opua was a fast port and easily worked. “Already large sums of money have been sunk in Opua,” concluded Mr. Michie, “therefore we must not look at other interests but protect these ! interests we already have, by taking t one thing at the time, and see to it ’ that we get Opua opened as a port , for the overseas shipping of our I I meat.”