MARKET FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE IN THE NORTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8631, 29 July 1891, Page 6

MARKET FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE IN THE NORTH.

— -ji Mr. Lionel H. Claudkt, writing from Mangonui on the 11th inst. upon the reported distress amongst village settlers at Takahue, says : —A letter appeared in an Auckland paper a short time ago, signed by R. French, containing statements made by a Takahue settler that, I think, are calculated to considerably injure this district. The settler who wrote this letter, I should say, allows a vivid imagination to obscure a right view of the case. I will not reply at length to all his remarks that have a serious economy of truth, but confine myself to one in particular, and merely glance at others. He says " there is no sale for any produce in this district." I am prepared to prove that this is one of the most favoured districts in the North Island in regard to a market. . A few miles to the north of us there are between 400 and 600 men engaged in gumdigging ; to the south, a lew miles off, there are nearly the same number engaged at bushwork and other remunerative employment. The greater portion of the butter and cheese consumed by these men comes from Waikato and Taranaki. Their potatoes come from Canterbury. Their bacon is nearly all imported, also tinned meat. The settlers import nearly all their grass seed, oats, flour, etc. Placing the average consumption at £10 per head, there cannot be less than from £10,000 to £15,000 worth of food imported into this district per annum. That this money could just as well be kept in the place is very evident. I can point out many successful settlers here who went on their land with a light purse but a : stout heart; men who to-day are out of debt, and thoroughly comfortable. 1 can safely assert that there has never been anything yet grown 'in this district that has not had a ready market. The price of butter here is from lOd to Is 3d per lb all the year round ; eggs, Is per dozen; bacon, can be sold by the ton at 6d per lb; and potatoes never less than 5s per cwt. All other articles are at similar rates. Fat sheep and cattle, or good horses, are at present almost unprocurable, as all the fat stock has been cleared out to Puhipuhi. Numbers of men have been making as much as 15s per diem on the gumfields, although the average is about ss. Good threcquarter-scraped black and brown gum is bought on our northern fields at .'sos to 35s per cwt; ordinhay, 25a to 28s ; lower grades, 03 to 14s ; good white gum, 38s to 455. Most of our gumfields are within easy access of the sea, which everyone knows abounds in fish of all kinds. Before Mr. French again puts his name to a letter concerning the North, I should advise him to take a trip through and see if wo arc such a poverty-stricken lot as some people make out. It is a pity the people who are so kind as to send relief to the so-called " distressed settlers," do not first ascertain if these men asking assistance are really in dire want. A man here who will work need never suffer from want. Ido not wish to make out that everything here is c.okur de roue, but there have been so many letters sent to Auckland by certain persona running down our Northern Dirtiict, that it is about time a stop was put to.