HARD TIMES FOR FARMER

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1933, Page 10

HARD TIMES FOR FARMER

OKAIAWA VISITED IN 1880 WHEN ROADS WERE BUSH TRACKS. BEGINNING OF DAIRY INDUSTRY. A glimpse of the difficulties of the early settlers was given to the Daily News by Mr. W. Johnston, who used to “pack” meat from Okaiawa to the bush camps over 50 years ago. At that time the road' lines were being cut through the bush, Skeet Road being then cleared only as a track line. It was certainly wild-look-ing country and there was no Hastings Road at all. However, there were tracks through the bush and the old Maori clearings, these being fringed with peach trees. The late Mr. R. Clement was one who had a Government bush contract near the Te Ngutu bush. Mr. Brophy had another. Mr. William Pearce had a bush section. Mr. Johnston, Mr. Ben Phillips and Mr. Harry Dodd had a contract for sowing 350 acres of bush burn towards Eltham Road. The Maoris were mostly wild rebellious Hauhaus and there were many pas on the edges of the bush. The settlers had to be continually on the alert and a camp of 150 Armed Constabulary was stationed in the vicinity of the present main Joll factory. One day Titokowaru’s pa was surrounded and a search made for rifles and ammunition. The only loyal tribe in the district- was that of Hone Pihama. Mr. Johnston was at Opunake the day after the murder of Miss Dobbie. Mr. Johnston had his first introduction to Okaiawa in November, 1880, when he and Mr. William Shearer inspected a holding that Mr. Shearer afterwards bought at the land sale. Normanby Road was only a survey line, but there was a camp of unemployed men cutting the bank above the Joll factory. • There were unemployed even in those days, and the condition of affairs was certainly bad. However, the men were of fine stamp, with plenty of vigour and enterprise. There were some excellent athletes, especially at the New Year sports in Hawera. Hawera was a busy place before the land sales, people coming from all parts of the country to make an inspection of the plains. Most of the land up to- the bush line was nothing but tall fern and tutu. The land on the lower side of Normanby Road was disposed of at the first sale, while the top side was put up to auction at the second sale. These sales took place in the old Hawera town hall, opposite the borough offices, but the building would not accommodate the big crowd that wanted to gain admission. Land in the rough brought from £5 to £6 an a cite, while a section next to the Okaiawa school brought £l6 in the rough. Other sections at the second sale brought £l2 to £l3. Native lands in standing bush were sold on lease at rentals of a few shillings an acre. It was hard work even to make a garden among the bogs and heavy logs and timber. In 1884 the farmers were in desperate plight. They had spent all their money in improving their sections but as there was no market for their cattle and no freezing industry it was impossible to get revenue to recoup their outlay. To carry on the farmers had to borrow and pay heavy rates of interest of from 10 to 12 per cent. There was no mortgagors’ relief legislation then, and the settlers had hard times until the dairy industry started and there arose a demand, for frozen beef and mutton. Mr. Johnston . said he had seen fat cows sell at as low as 47s 6d each. Tai- , low was very cheap and people had to live on fungus gathering ’and grass-seed-ing. However, the early settlers could see that the quality of the land was magnificent and they struggled on bravely against heavy odds. When refrigeration came it gave an outlet for the farm products and the position began to brighten. - When times were hardest financially the 'banks, were giving up to 7 and 8 per cent, for deposits, and for a few months prior to the bank smash scare everyone was on his knees for money. For a time people could not even give land- away; But when the Government came to the rescue of the banks and advanced money for settlement the position improved. When Mr. Joll opened his factory suppliers were given only 3d per gallon for * milk, and . even then refunds had sometimes to be made when the butter reached England to be sold at “give away” prices. About 1894 the dairy payments were made on the buter-fat system, and soon it was possible to advance 6d per lb. for buter-fat, while another Id came later and people thought they were “made.” But land was only £l6 or £l7 per acre then. As Mr. Joll’s business developed he started a skimming, station at Kapuni and one at Te Ngutu. Cheese showed a better return than butter and the Joll factories later changed over to cheese. The Maoris did not take kindly to the settlement by the white man and were filled with Hauhau hostility to the progress of the pakeha. It was their firm belief, fostered by Te Whiti and other prophets, that the Europeans would eventually be driven out of the country. When the settlers were clearing and burning Maoris would often come along claiming “You are sowing this for the Maori,” but their prophecies were never fulfilled.