THE NORTH ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3488, 18 January 1921, Page 11

THE NORTH ISLAND.

(Fbom Oub Own Cobbespondent.) The appearance of the North Island has completely changed within the past couple of weeks, the hot sun having been responsible for turning green paddocks and hillsides into brown. The whole country is burnt up, and without rain comes soon there is going to be very serious feed trouble, excepting on those farms where provision has been made. Those with a good stand of lucerne, are, as the Irishman would put it, ‘in clover,” and stock owned by these provident farmers are not likely to want a good bite. The long dry spell is now being reflected in the intakes at the dairy factories, the quantity of cream having reduced very substantially during the past few days. Just at the time of writing, indications are that rain is not far away, and the general hope is that it will materialise in the form of a really good downpour. In the hinterland of Wanganui, fears are entertained that the continued dry weather may result in a recurrence of the bush and grass fires, which in past years have proved so disastrous. As a matter of fact, several fires have already been started by the excessive heat, one area of 90 acres being swept by the flames. In the Dannevirke portion of Southern Hawke’s Bay, log and grass fires burned about 50 cords of firewood on Mr B. Lang’s farm, and a number of sheep were also destroyed. The fire spread over 600 acres of Mr H. Giessen’s property, and burned 500 cords of firewood, Mr J. Galloway’s cowshed, and Coldstream’s camp also suffered from the flames. The fire was very fierce and spread rapidly. Just now, with the country so dry and so many fires going, there is great danger of extensive damage being done if heavy winds should spring up and carry the fire over adjacent country. That big bush fires are raging is demonstrated by the heavy smoke which is hanging over so many towns, and as long as the winds do not spring up, a very substantial area of the North Island back country will be brought into profit this year. 'The grassed lands of the north will therefore be substantially increased. Harvesting operations are being actively carried on. and most of the crops will yield good results. CULTIVATIONS ALONG THE MAIN TRUNK. The Main Trunk districts are receiving much more attention now, and quite a number of farmers are realising that it is profitable to make the best use of their holdings by cropping. The shortage of winter feed last year showed the necessity of preparing for future contingencies. CALIFORNIAN THISTLE. There has been a prolific growth of Californian thistle in the Main Trunk districts. A few years ago such a growth would have resulted in numerous prosecutions, but now the Californian thistle is not viewed so much in the light of an enemy as it was. Indeed, some farmers appear to be quite pleased that the growth has been good this year, as they intend to use it for feeding purposes. BUTTER AND CHEESE. A rather interesting summary of the position as regards butter and cheese was published in the Wellington Post a few days ago. Inquiries went to show that thero

would be a falling off in the production of cheese on estimates made before the season opened. This is due to the changing over of a number of important companies from the manufacture of cheese to that of butter. The cheese market at the opening of the season looked exceedingly bright. Sales were made of whole outputs at 14d to 14-jd, even up to 14 5-8 d and 14|d. Then it went back. But it is to-day better than ldfd f.0.b., the price at which the Imperial Government bought the exportable surplus of last season. But even at the equivalent of 13d to 14d, it does not commend itself so favourable a proposition to makers as butter; and where they can do so, they are profiting by the Imperial Government’s offer to take all the butter to be exported at 2s 6d per lb. The 25 companies that have gone wholly or in part to butter in preference to cheese include : —Kaupokonui, Hawera, Joll’s, Eltham, Kapona, Mells, Mangatoki, Awatuna, Kakaramea, W'henukura, Bunnythorpe, Riverbank, Tamaki, Patua, Ohanui, and Rangatiki. So far as can be ascertained, the quality of both butter and cheese is well up to the high average upon which the reputation of both of >. Zealand manufacture stands in the London market. DAIRYMEN’S WAGES. In the Taranaki province and Auckland district, where so much butter is being produced, dairymen are being paid exceedingly big money, but it is maintained that the earnings of the dairy farmers are not by any means excessive. As a set off to' the apparently large earnings of the dairy farmers, there is the heavy expenditure, the difficult and unremitting" work which makes labour hard to obtain except at high rates, and the high cost of operating butter-mak-ing machinery, with, of course, the scarcity and dearness of benzine and kerosene for milking machines. This expenditure, dairymen contend, swallows a large proportion of the income of the business, and setting one against the other, it leaves little more than the old time remuneration for the dairymen. Then again, there is the high cost of land and stock to be taken into account, so that on _ the whole the dairymen’s big returns shrink very considerably, and the “lily is not just as it is painted ”

SERIOUS DISPUTE SETTLED. The dairy industry of Taranaki received a big set-back on account of the recent dispute at the Ohutu timber mills. Almost the whole of the timber used for the manufacture .of butter boxes and clieese crates for the Taranaki district is prepared at this particular mill. Interviewed regardino- the matter, Mr P. Hally, of the Board of Trade, said that the workers employed at the mill, between 40 and 50 men, were on strike from about December 4. At the request of the Prime Minister, he went to Ohutu, and after an interview with the men the proposition was made that, conditional upon the company reopening the factory, the men should return to work at once, and that there should be no discrimination in the selection or workers. Immediately upon the resumption of work both parties should appoint representatives to meet in conference to determine the points in dispute. The parties had met and had arrived at a settlement on all points except wag-es. Jins had been left to Mr Hally to settle after he had made an investigation of conditions. Mr Hally proceeded to Ohutu during the week for the purpose of making trie in\ estimation, and to try and arrange a satisfactory base for the payment of wages.