THE HAURAKI PLAINS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18022, 22 February 1922, Page 10

THE HAURAKI PLAINS.

A PRODUCTIVE REGION.

THE KAURI RESERVES.

ACTIVE LOCAL INDUSTRIES. No better indication could bo given of the wonderful future before the Thames district than tho rapid growth of its local industries. Goldmining, of course, i is tho one historically associated with the locality, and though' many people prophesy a renewal of activity on tho goldfields when lower mining costs and improved mothods permit more economical ■working, the fact is recognised that of far greater utility to the country than a mining revival would be is the steady, permanent extraction of wealth from tho pastures and grazing stock of tho* Hauraki Plains. Even then it would be a mistake to suppose that the field of production is limited to dairying and stock raising, as is tho case in most districts of tho North Island. Enormous wealth awaits exploitation in the fisheries of the Firth of Thames and Hauraki Gulf, in tho kauri forests of tho Coromande] Peninsula, and in the fruit growing qualities of tho hill soil.

Probably no district in New Zealand has displayed a more remarkable development in the dairying industry than the once despised and ignored Hauraki Plains, It is only 11 years ago since the Plains were surfaced with peat, rushes, and raupo, not even grass being visible. Yet this peat land, when drained and brought in, grows wonderful crops of grass, supporting as Sne herds as may be found anywhere in the Dominion. In 1912 a fow cows wero being milked, the cream being taken by launch down the Piako to Shortland two or three times a week. Even as recently as 1915 one launch could carry all the cream brought out of tho Plains. Soon it was found tnat a whole fleet of launches would not suffico to handle the volume of cream, and as a result the New Zealand Co-operativo Dairying Co. built its large butter factory at Ngatoa, tho centro of the Hauraki Plains. This fiue building was opened last April, and is already exceeding tho estimated yearly output of 800 tons of butter. This season the output is estimated at about 1100 tons. The staff numbers 21 men, there are 270 suppliers milking about 10,000 cows. Twelve tons of cream are delivered to the factory every day, and aw mado into 207 boxes of butterabout 36i tons a week. This butter is grading up to 94 points, and no second grade butter is made at nil, the fanners delivering superfine cream. Equally good returns apply to cheese. The factory at Turua made 565 tons of cheese, valued at £55,901, last season, and tho estimated output for the present season is 600 tons. The increase on previous years is significant; the output in the 1916-17 season was 169 tons, and t'he increase up to the present output has been steady each successive year. Figures applying to factories operating in longer-established districts of the Thames Valley naturally are even .more impressive. During the 1918-19 season the Thames Valley Dairy Company turned out 1530 tons of butter and 2600 tons of cheese, the total output of dairy products being 4180 tons, valued at no less than £550,000. Tliis output was exceeded in later seasons. Official statistics show that in the year 1919 the total value of the cream products of tho Hauraki Plains amounted to £113,800, and the total value of the stock sold £216,176. The in- I creases over the previous year wero ( £34,770 for cream products and £30,876 for stock sold. Since the tirst land ballot for the subdivision of the Plains was taken 11 years ago, some 14,000 cows have been added to New Zealand's dairy herds in this one district. Not half the Plains has yet been thrown open for settlement, and

it is practically certain that tho nest 10 years will see an increase in dairying at least five times as great as the present output. At tho Ngatea factory alone it is estimated that the manufacture of butter next season will reach 1500 tons, and 2000 tons the season after. Few people realise that Thames has become one of the principal centres of the kauri timber industry in New Zealand. The kauri forest at Kauaeranga, about 15 miles from Thames, was worked many years ago, but only trees in handy positions were felled. Vast reserves were practically land-locked, the only exit from the hills being a narrow ravino where there was insufficient zoom for the logs to swing round the bends. The Kauri Timber Company has now developed operations on a large scale. A passage 40ft. wide, and a quarter of a mile long, has been blasted out of the ravine, making no less than 30,000,000 ft. of timber accessible. It was stated in Parliament lately that the chief reserves of kauri were to be found on tho Coromandel Peninsula. The company has $ist completed extending its tramway from the Kauaeranga River to , the shovo neat tho mouth of tho Waihou I River. ft is estimated that the timber I reserves tapped by this line total between 65,000,000 and 70,000,000 super feet. The i company aims at hauling out 500,000 ft. monthly, and employs 90 men on tho work. The logs are conveyed to the mouth of tho Waihou, and formed into raftß and towed to Auckland. Another local industry which has become important is the fishing industry. Thames fish is distributed daily to almost every town on the Main Trunk line as far south as Wellington. The catch is handletjby three firms, the largest, the Thames fisheries, Ltd., having a capital of £30,000, and owning retail branches throughout the valley. Motor-boats are largely employed in gathering the harvest, but the exclusion of trawlers from certain parts of the gulf assures line-fishermen a livelihood.

It is probably only those who are personally acquainted with Thames _ who realise the extensive engineering activities of the town. Thames is the site of the engineering works of A. and G. Price, an old-established firm owning workshops covering three acres of ground and employing 180 men. The firm has constructed 92 locomotives for the New Zealand Government, ana turns out huge quantities of dairying and lumbering machinery. Its motor department is one of the most modern as regards equipment in Australasia. Amone other local industries is the up-, to-date clothing factory of Mr. F. N. Claxton, and the iron foundry 6f Char'es Ju<ld, Ltd., the latter employing over 70 hands. there is the quarrying industry, a recent development, the object of which is to provide large quantities of metal for roading the reclaimed swamps of the Plains. _ Of the once-famous goldmining industry little need be said. Since 1868 approximately £7,500,000 worth of gold has been taken out of the Thames field, Unfortunately, during the past 10 years, mining ventures have not been successful, j ®\. s ? v . era l mines aje still working obtaining good values.