ST. HELIERS BUS SERVICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20720, 13 November 1930, Page 14

ST. HELIERS BUS SERVICES.

Sir, —It, would appear from Mr. FawceU's remarks to the Transport Board, as published in the Herald of Wednesday last, that he is suffering from the. "Hang you, Jack, I'm all right!" complaint. To suggest that main road residents can walk any distance up to two miles to Glen Iniies Station, and similarly to Purewa Station, is ridiculous. What of the workers (who are really the backbone of the suburban traffic), who require transport to Newmarket, Synionds Street and other places on the present route? Will it not be injustice in their case ? HLs suggestion that the Transport Board take over the St. Heliors service shows an utter lack of observation. The proprietor of the Tamaki service is entitled, morally and in every other way, to the use of the waterfront road, and it is only right that he should have it. One is apt to forget that Mr. Keys is in business for himself and is naturally studying his own interests primarily, but it seems unreasonable to think that ho will forget the people who supported him in his early days and made it possible for him to build up his present service. However, as everyone seems to bo telling Mr. Keys how to run his business, may I suggest that the solution of the problem may lie in running certain buses by the present route and back via the waterfront road and similarly in by the waterfront road and out by the main road. lam sure if reasonable suggestions are put to him he will give them all consideration, while illconsidered proposals by an alleged Ratepayers' Association (which only represents a tithe of the population) only cause trouble and leave the residents mourning for adequate transport. Glendowie. f

LOCAL BUTTER PRICES. Sir,—l notice that at a meeting of dairy farmers and others at Matamata it was stated that the price of butter for local consumption should bo Is 6d to Is 8d per pound, and that the public would not object. That may be so. This proposition is parochial. As is well-known, certain factories put a big percentage of the output on the local market. They are in the minority, and need to be fairly centrally situated to be able to supply the centres. There arc the small factories situated miles from a railway making 200 to 300 tons a year. What chance have they of reaping the benefit of the local market? Would the Matamata farmers agree to co-operation, with all other factories in the province, and pool the difference between export and local prices, and divide the proceeds between the other factories on a tonnage basis ? Until some such scheme as this is brought into being there can bo no hope of preventing price-cutting. Let the fanners get to the root of the trouble, viz., the cost of administering the affairs of the country, get this cost down, and lOd and Is per lb. will pay those dairymen who have bought their land at a productive value. Prices from Is 3d to Is 6d for butterfat. have gone for sonio time, and only the short-sighted could liavo expected these prices to remain for all time. The present slump is not as severe as that in the nineties. We lived then with wool varying from 3d to 6d for a few years, and butter, well, you could not sell it in some places. We certainly did not, have ,so many middle men in those days taking their 2i per cents, out of tho proceeds, otherwise we would have gone under. It is time the farmers of New Zealand got to work and formed themselves into one big union and made their presence in tho country felt. At the moment they are the catspaw of every industrial union of workers in tho Dominion and now is the time for them to be up and doing to protect their own interest. 26 Cows.

Sj r> —The local price of butter has called forth protests both from the consumer and the producer, and astonishment has been expressed that a position has arisen which no one desired. An explanation is certainly desirablo and necessary to prevent a recurrence of such a position, which, apart from its absurdity, is adding to the already heavy burden on the primary producer. In such a matter one could surely look for a lead to the local associations of co-operative dairy companies, who are primarily interested as directly representing the dairy farmers, or, failing these institutions, the local farmers' unions would ho qnite justified in taking up the matter, which is of the greatest importance to the farming community. If tho spirit of co-operation is so wanting in our co-operative dairy companies that it is impossible to control tho price of butter in our local market, where there is no foreign competition, and where tho consumer also is desirous of paying the farmed more than he is asking, what possible hope have wo of ever exercising any sort, of control over the selling value of our dairy produce in foreign markets. It. appears to me that there is some great weakness, and that it is imperative to locate the source, and having done so, to remove the cause and to build up a structure on a sounder foundation, and so eventually bring about a condition of affairs whereby the primary producer will have tho control over the sale of his produce to which he is legitimately entitled, both in local and foreign markets. Important. as this was, say, 12 months ago, it is rendered moro necessary by the fall in the price of primary produce which has reduced the farmer's revenue by 30 to 40 per cent., and robbed him absolutely of any or all available income until such time as his cost of production comes down. I would suggest a committee be immediately set up representing those co-opera-tive companies supplying tho local market to go into tho question, obtain evidence bearing on tho position, and report the result, of its finding to tho farming community, who (should then be in a position to take what action may bo necessary. J submit my suggestion to the co-op-orativo dairy associations and the Farmers' Union. ' J. G. Wyntard. To Awnmutu. i