THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14580, 20 July 1909, Page 4

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

PROSPECTS IN THE NORTH. D j (Faoit Ouj; Own Corkesposdext.) po AUCKLAND, July 19. <l« is soon as the dairying season closes I£kS ro is itlwuys talk of speculation on 4" i butter market, and at the close of : last two seasons at anyrate attempts m ,-c been made to establish " corners." m . si j car llie spring make came along time to teach the would-be " car- li! ■ei's " that gambling in food products l mean the loss of a lot of money ! " iietimes. This year there have been '^ nom's of speculation in many quarters. "' is certain that heavy buying and sell- ' ; took place a few months ago in °, irkland, and that stocks are being held ] V some quarters for a substantial rise, w lero is even a rumour that an attempt <li lo be made shortly to force up the bi ice again. Some of the speculators *•! ve gambled on the weather, and once ; '"' ire the weather promises to beat them. u ictoric:; were enabled to continue a " v iiited output till a very late date, ami 0 , me factories have never ceased opera" [.[ ms, and they will now run right <t rough the winter. From many country' k stiicls in Taranaki and Auckland come ■l purls that the exceptionally mild win- '' r being experienced is resulting in a rs ry early ;; roivlli of forage. Waikalo, ! orlhern Wairoa, Thames Valley', haugarei, Tauranga, and various other t j. nckland stations are reporting an ex- 6 j ptional abundance of fee<l for (his time v . .year, and as a consequence there is a iod steady cream supply, greater by far c an that ever experienced in this pro- f< nee before. Factories that did close l ; '.• the winter are busily 1 preparing for l e reopening. Fresh cows are already •tiling in, and it is now certain that :l drying in the more favoured districts [< ill not cease at all this year. Supplies p butter in cold store are equal to those 'ailable at this time last year, and while f< ie factories are not making sufficient 1< meet the rate of consumption, still c icy arc piovidiug a wholesome check * i the diminution of supplies, and there ' every prospect of the outout increasing „ om now on. Under these circumstances ° iere is no warranty for attempts to , iree up local prices, and in fact the >■ dail price of butter in Auckland during t inter compared with the price paid to t ie country factory is too. high. There - too large a margin going somewhere he remedy for the recurring trouble ' v'er winter supplies is a regular system f winter dairying through ensilage feed- ' ig of dairy herds, and for winter dairy- ' ig the Auckland province is preeminently j daptcd. • GREYMOUTH NOTES. ] (Fl'.0!I OUK O\VS CORRESIIOXBENT.) i GKEVMOUTH, July 29. \ The Greymonth Harbour Hoard has ow revised its wharf charges, in future i Dr every vessel (.-ailing or sWumer) lying | t the wharf for the lirst lour days or . art theruf, a charge of Id per ton net i egister will be made. Then follows the 1 rovision levying a fee of one farthing i er ton on steamers for every additional ay after the lir;>l-mentioned period, and f one-twelfth of a penny ( on sailing cssels. Jt is further provided that 1 day" shall be counted from midnight o midnight, that no cli/irge shall be nade for Sundays or statutory holiday a, ', provided no cargo is loaded or shipped, , nd that vessels barbound or put in hrough stress of weather .shall be free if berthage, charges, provided no cargo is oaded or shipped. The effect of these .Iterations will be to afford a certain .mount of relief to owners. As compared vith the charges heretofore in force they ■how a substantial reduction. Mr Blacknmre, Government Fomologist, las just completed an oliiciul visit to ivaramca, where he gave the settlers valuible lectures and instruction in fruit and lotatfl cultivation. Talking to a Westport rimes reporter, Mr Jilackmorc spoke in .he highest terms of the possibilities of ,he Karamea district for the development )f fruit and potato cultivation, the :limatie conditions and character of the ioil being eminently favourable. He javc the settlers a mass of information from which, if they display the necessary Diik'i'prise, they, and the district should greatly benefit. l Mr Blackmore will remain on the Coast some time. He is to retire under the Government retrenchment scheme, but he says he will always retain mi interest in Karamea, where he sees great possibilities. Mr K. A. Wickes, who has been to Christehiireh on business matters in connection with the timber trade, told a Star reporter that the building trade in Canterbury ha-s been dull for some time, and still remains so, in addition to which all the merchants hold very heavy, slocks of red pine. An improvement is anticipated in the near future, but till this obtains there is very little chance of the outlook for the millers being very much better than it is at present. Mr T. IT. Kerr, wdio has hitherto been the company's representative for Canterbury, has resigned, and Mr U. H. Chapman, wdio has acted as agent in Wellington, has been promoted to fill the vacancy in Christehurclt. Owing to the fact that money is beginning to get freer and cheaper in Christchurch and Dunedin, it should not be long before a revival in the timber trade takes place. It is stated that, as a result of a recent tour of inspection by the olKccr in charge of the Labour Department in Greymouth, a number of summonses will be shortly issued against master carrier.; for breaches of awards in not paying full time, and j in tome instances not keeping time and wages books. The rumour that the s.s. Defender had be.!ii engaged lo run eight trips with timber from Hokitika is a largely-exagge-rated one. 'J.'he small vessel, whose capacity is only about 70,000 ft, has been fixed to carry from that nort lo Wellington 55,000 ft. to Tiniuru 70.000 ft. and to Lvttelton 70.000 ft. When the facts are gleaned it is disheartening' to be forced to realise that our limber trade generally, but especially in red pine, does not by any means present the indentions of revival likely lo be assumed from a report so optimistic and vague, which even if correct would only mean an aggregate despatch of about 600,000 ft over a period covering at least 10 weeks. Special efforts are always made to ship from Hokitika when the'bar is navigable, ibis diversion of export being a considerable advantage to the sawmillevs of that district in saving charges to Greymouth. It is to be hoped that the bar will continue to he workable, and so permit of the three loads being cleared.