DAIRY PRODUCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 5293, 3 June 1904, Page 6

DAIRY PRODUCE.

WHY THE HARHU'BR BOARD DOJia N(Ji‘ ULiRjJ Si'UilHS. The question whether it is the duty oi Jie Wellington nailaour .board to es--ablish cooi storage depots m Welliug,.un lias ooen ireqiienuy discussed; ana .or D. J. -Nathan, a member of the dom'd, is distinctly ol opinion that such accommodation should he provided. "is there any real necessity for increased storage in this port?’' queried air Harold r>eauchamp, acting-chairman of the Harbour Board, when interviewed by a representative of the "New Zealand Times” on this subject yesterday. To that question my reply is in the negative. "I would point out that the Wellington Moat Export Company has a large storage capacny, and further, that if the trade expands as we wish it to expand, the company is quite willing to set aside the whole of its storage capacity at Waterloo quay for dairy produce, upon the completion of the extension now being made to its works at Ngaliauranga. Again, the Harbour Board has entered into an agreement with the Meat Export Company which contains tho following provisions:— "‘And will also at all time during tho continuance of the said term freeze and yuescrvo by the process of refrigeration or some other equally efficient and store hi suitable chambers all butter and oilier produce that the Hoard may require to be frozen and preserved and stored for ex}jort, and will provide ail necessary Jalioui for grading and storing the said butter and other produce at a rale not exceeding the lowest into for tlie umo being charged by any corporate body, person or persons for the like work under similar conditons at any of the ports of New Zealand. Provided always Hint too company shall not bo hound under the last foregoir. clause to freeze and pro-orve and store more than 94,000 packages per month or GOO tons of butter or other produce, aud provided further that the company shall not bo bound to provide any special chambers or machinery for the purpose of such freezing and preserving and storing other than tlie chambers and machinery of tao company from time to time existing for the purpose of freezing meat.’ “I would particularly direct your attention to tho words in that agreement —-’And will provide all necessary labour for grading and storing the said butter and other produce at a rate not exceeding tho lowest rate for the time being charged by any corporate body, person, or persons, for tho like work under similai conditions at any of tho ports of Now Zealand.’ I should hesitate,” said Air Beauchamp, “to recommend the members of the Wellington Harbour Board to compete against private enterprise, especially when the public is catered for in tliOfWay it is now catered for by the Meat Export Company. If extensive works were erected by tho HaiCoour Board, at a cost of, say, £15,000 —without calculating the value of the site; at all—l feel sure the exporters would simply pit tho Board against the Meat Export Company, and bring rates down to an imremnnerativo level. Tills might suit exporters and producers, but what about the Harbour Board and the company? It is, I think, generally conceded by exporters that they have no cause for complaint against the Meat Export Company, on tho score of either accommodation or charges. “New Plymouth,” Mr Beauchamp continued, “is, to my mind, the natural centre for the establishment of works and tho storage of butter. This produce can be better accumulated there, and shipped to Wellington by steamer in large quantities, then despatched by a long train route to Wellington. -The Now Plymouth people have determined to erect now works as speedily as possible, to replace those destroyed by fire at Moturoa a short time ago, and X know that the majority of them have scouted any idea of entering upon any arrangement whereby their butter should be stored in Wellington or elsewhere, .awaiting shipment. I am distinctly of opinion that tho port of Wellington has not lost one box of butter—nor is it likely to lose it—through a disinclination on tho part of tho members of the Harbour Board to commit themselves to a largo expenditure which is only calculated- to crush, or seriously interfere with, private enterprise, especially as that private enterprise is now mooting, at fair and reasonable rates, all requirements. “It may not be generally known also that tho shipping companies, under their agroe.raent with the National Dairy Association, pay freight on all water-borne butter from such ports as New Plymouth and Patea to Wellington.” Mr Beauchamp quoted the following figures to show how extensive is the trade in butter shipped at Wellington over side, from vessel to vessel— Tons. 1899 4019 1900 5936 1901 5371 1902 ... - ... 5890 1903 ... 7701 “These figures,” he explained, “represent merely the butter brought down by steamer from out-ports and put over tho side from the colonial vessel to the export vessel; and to my mind they emphatically prove that our port is not suffering from ‘supineness’ on the part of the Harbour Board.” Mr D. Sladden. manager of the Meat Export Company, stated, in answer to a question, that the cool storage space at the disposal of tho company is such that double tho quantity of butter usually kept there could be stored, if necessary.