THE COMING SHEEP ERA AND SHIPPING.

Patea Mail, Volume XI, Issue 109, 26 September 1898, Page 2

THE COMING SHEEP ERA AND SHIPPING.

TO THE EDITOK. Sib, — One, two, three. Success not struck. Let’s have a bigger go ! This practically represents efforts during several year’s past to build up at Waitara. ou what may be considered the ruins of the great freezing and cool storage project entered upon by Auckland many year> ago, meat freezing and direct shipments of produce from Waitara in furtherance of the development of the pastoral and dairying capabilities of the Taranaki pro vincial district. £A laudihle object urn doubtedly, had only decent common sense had full play. The Waitara branch was considered to he a card of high value. But the initial project, iu a business sense, did not gee. More s the pity for both Auckland and the Taranaki district. The project was hacked by Auckland business talent, influence and hard cash, aided by whole-hearted advocacy and practical support by Waitara and by the weight of Waitara influence (no small item in that compact family party) over the whole province. Aided also by prejudice against a near neighbour through all and sundry being compelled to contribute to a big harbour project which has uot yet turned out trumps. Since then there has been the one, two, three, minoi efforts. A recent telegram reads:—“ The directors of the Waitara Freezing Works Lave decided to sell the works to a syndicate for £3OOO, which represents the liability of the company to the guarantors and small accounts. The shareholders forego all share money invested. Th syndicate propose to float a company with a capital of £20,000 iu £IOO shares, and re-open works with new machinery and additional|buildings.” It is well enough* known that there would have been smaii hope of success in the one, two, thm later attempts, had it not been for tht large measure of support and guarantee given by what embraces the Hawera district or contingent of Waitara sympathisers. These latter have had a big sa> iu the various re-arrangements, as web they might considering the high, importance to that portion of the provincial district of a reliable and cheap outlet for their staple products. All the many years of beating about at Wellington, Wanganui. Patea, New Plymouth and Waitara, with efforts also to work through Opunake for I a portion of the trade, leaves the hulk of the flock and cattle producers still iu dilemma. They have found none of the ports entirely satisfactory nor even railage. The top of the trorrble is not yet reached. An article on sheepbreeding in Taranaki in the Canterbury Press, by Mr A. A. Fantham, of Hawera, among other items, after referring to the conditions 1 attending sheep farming on the Plains, says; “It is on the hilly country that is now being cleared of bush that w« may expect to get our large increase of sheep, although up to the last few years this land was looked upon by many people as almost worthless ou account of its broken or undulating hature.” He then proceeds to give his reasons for expecting such a large outpout of sheep in the near future from the very land that, until recently, was looked upon as worthless. One important point to bear iu mind in respect of the very large area of this broken but good sheep bearing country, only now in process of being taken up, is that most of it lies immediately inland from the port of Patea Once the more direct roads to this interim country are made, aided by the easilymade navigable waterway embraced in the Patea river, it seems but reasonable to expect that Patea will be the most favourably located position, so far as thiback country is concerned, and so far also as the coast is concerned for a distance oi thirty miles north and south, for manipulating both the sheep and their by-pro-ducts; also for shipping and for other stock and produce. Then the question arises, particularly after the already one. two, three and try again at Waitara, not . counting the initial experiment and wind up, whether it might not be worth the while of these adventurers in the northern ; project to look nearer home. Works art now in hand at Patea Heads, which are expected to give easier or rather safer in and egress to the vessels now trading here and possibly to vessels of more carrying capacity. Once the result of the present , work is known, if any way favourable, all doubt as to the future of Patea as a port, will be set at rest. In the meantime of , the doing and non-completion of the guide pier, the well-wishers and firm believers in Patea as a suitable port for what is previously termed the Hawera . contingent stand practically baud tied. I and opportunities not only for greater enlargements of present industrial undertakings, but of new ventures, even to the , setting up of other meat manipulating , operations, are banging fire, and what . should be its best supporters either on ’ their own book or in connection with . established concerns are drifting away. , This should indicate the urgent necessity for the best efforts of the Harbour Board : being given to aid the early completion of , present works.—l am, etc., James Kexwortuy.