PATEA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1249, 6 February 1896, Page 20

PATEA.

Patea, January 31

The ice-making plant which was put into the Western Co-operative Dairy Factory at Patea since the last season is now serving a verj r useful purpose. The manager (Mr O. W. Oldham) gives its capacity as three tons of ice per day. This is largely in excess of local requhements, and the surplus is being taken up by other factories lying to the north aud south of Patea. The Railway Department is takrmrice in specially made boxes, each holding lcwfc, for use in the conveyance of dairy and other perishable produce. In addition to the laying down of ice-making machinery and large concrete ice-cellarage, there have been other enlargements to the buildings, and an up-to-date cheese-making plant is ready whenever it becomes desirable to start cheese-making. A large new boxchurn has also replaced various sin iller kinds at first used. The factory altogether is said to be equal to manufacturing the milk of 2000 cows. An additional creamery, the Alton branch, has up to the present been sending cream to the central factory, but is now starting Cheese-making. The Western Dairy Factory, with its creameries, been somewhat of an experiment, the whole district comprising grazing areas, and what, takey r;ita the high - ; quality of the larjd. y can only be looked upon j JiS-rarge- u'oldings. Had it not been for the better prospects for wool there is reason to : believe that other large land-owners would > have become milk suppliers. Some, however, have increased their supply of milk. The convenience of Patea (the dairy factory being within a stone's throw of the railway line) for supplying ice for all stations from New Plymouth to Lougburn ought to induce the railway authorities to grant the oft-made request of continuing the afternoon train from New Plymouth on to Patea, instead of stopping for the night, as now, at Hawera. The trahi leaving early again next morning would give facilities, now sadly lacking, for the despatch of freight both from and to the port. The long spell of westerly weather has ad- j versely affected Patea equally with other west coast ports. The wool and produce trade by steamer with Wellington has rapidly increased year by year, and but for the ex ceptionally bad weather with consequent shallowing of the bar, the output would have again shown a considerable increase. Possibly, the block in despatch of wool may stir the rather easy going Harbour Board to action.

The Western Packing 1 Company, though a little late in starting killing operations this season, now has good orders ahead, with full supplies of sheep and cattle at hand. The steadiest all tho year round industry is that which has for a number of years been so successfully carried on b.y Mr Murgatroyd, who came here from Christchurch. This is a wool scouring and fellmongery business, which has steadily grown until it is now a considerable help to the placo by reason of the number of wage-oarnors now regularly employed. Brickmaking by machinery is now in operation hei-e. Both the local brickyards having, during last year, received orders far in excess of what could be turned out by hand, have been forced to machinery, and the trade continues brisk, chiefly for up-country requirements.