THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT AND THE CREAMERIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9164, 20 September 1888, Page 6

THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT AND THE CREAMERIES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your issue of the 17th instant you report the interview which Mr. Sprang had with the Hon. the Minister of Public Works re the carriage of milk and cream, and as from the remarks of the latter it would appear that he either does not understand the matter, or that he has been misled by his advisers, I trust you will give space for the following. It is difficult to condense the subject, but I shall spare your space as much a« possible : —Last year the Frozen Meat Company established creameries at various places, among others at Tuakau railway station. This station is distant, roughly speaking—from Buckland's, 2\ miles ; from Wfaangarata, 2£ miles ; from Pokeno, 5 miles, all of which are dairying centres. Last year it was pointed out to the Railway Department that, if a reasonable rate were given, a traffic would most likely ensue between these places, where at present there is virtually none, and that from each a revenue of something like £33 for eight months might be got without extra expenditure. That is, whatever traffic is at present between these places, thia would be entirely increase. The answer received was that milk was carried as cheap or cheaper in New Zealand than in any of the other colonies, and no reduction could be made. The rate was Jd per gallon to a factory, under fifteen miles, and possibly the same for the returned skim milk, in all a deduction of Id from the price given for milk—viz.. 2Jd per gallon. This rate was prohibitory, and we had to fall back on the dray and clay roads. By road, between Tuakau and Whangarata is some five miles, and the horse and dray could, and did carry the milk there and back for £d per gallon, or id each way. The action of the department thus caused a loss to the colony of revenue which might have been got with no oxtra expense, and what is more galling to the settler is that while revenue is thrown away he is taxed to make up the loss of trains running empty. Mr. Mitchelson gets the credit of being a shrewd business man, and if a similar issue were pointed out to him in his private business, is it likely he would let it slip ? Such being the case, it seems marvellous that he can allow himself to be misled because the matter is one of profit and loss to the colony. If the three places named were to yield as much as Whangarata, then the increased revenue would be £100, and as the Freezing Company had some five creameries the amount swells to £500 a year. Government propose to teach u≤, by a first-class imported expert, how to make butter and cheese, ana the cost of this experiment might just as well be thrown in the sea, or paid to our railway managers, because though we might be told how to do a thing, we have not and cannot provide ourselves with the appliances. I do not know of a single dairy building in the Auckland province fit for the purpose. What is the use of a first-class imported expert, telling ue that Hairies should be stone buildings, to n great extent underground, and cooled with ice in the hot weather, if we cannot get these things ? A company like the Freezing Company, or the Dairy Association, has these appliances, and they and the settler only ask that reason • able facility in freights may be given, and that not only with no loss, but with every prospect of a profit to the department.—l am, etc., G. P. Ewing. Glencairn, Whangarata, Tuakau, September 18th, 1888.