OPUNAKE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8003, 22 October 1887, Page 2

OPUNAKE.

TfROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] October 20.— Mr. A. V. Kirkby visited tho iowa the other day, ami laid before tho storekeepers a scheir.e by which tho cost of: obtaining Roods from New Plymouth would bo materially lessened, while Opunake would be placed in profitable communication with tho outside world. Mr. Kirkby proposes to run tho b.s. Waitara from New Plymouth in fino weather, and to run her up the beach at high-water to discharge and load on a tide, and float ofE at next flood. No doubt this scheme is the most practicable one which has yet been thought of, as tho goods have to bo landed now in surf-boats, and tho steamer running ashore would do away with risk aud cost of! transhipment in tho bay. Freights would at once be reduced oaohalf, and it would enable produce to be sentfrom Opuuake to outside markets at a price which would leave something for the producer. Tho moat inviting feature in the matter is that should a trade once bo done with a littlo steamer, it will not be long before a breastwork will bo seen necessary to bo placed on the rocks, in that portion of tho bay where smooth water is always said to exist, and where 14 feet of water are found at a very short discance from tho shore. A work of this sort would cost but a few" hundreds, aud i for many years suit the requirements of! tho district, whilo the accommo Union could euaily bo ivklod to ub trade developed. It is to bo hoped there id still enough lil'o in tho town to inaugurate this Invle, which will do much to rnisuOpnmiko to its former position on tho coast. Matters at ihe Dairy Factory do not seem to work out in a satin factory manner. Uho supplier?, after the experience of. hist yoar, aro dubious or! continuing supplies, and are, if tho means of doing so can be found, moro anxious lo work up tho milk at homo than to run tho risk of no proceeds at the end of: tho year. Attempts have been made to run tho fuctory on cooperative principles for the year, and it seems that a few hrge suppliers have now arranged to rent the building and to make butter. In order lo do this it appears necessary to purchase a butter plant and employ v manager. No doubt iL the affair gets started aud appears to work s.xListnjtorily, many of those small supplk-ra now hanging back will bo ouly too glad (o cowe in ; but it will bo necessary to rotuember that for butler purposes twilli will not carry so far as for cheese. If the steamers are provided with ccol chambers aud tho conutry is i'rcod from tho Bering and early siiiamer make, there tsttiue no reason why nuxt year should bo ao disastrous as, this, so that with the proßpeot

of getting Btuff away farmers will probably look tnoore cheerful than they havo done lately. Reports of consignments sent from Otakeho to London are said to ghow a net result of 4d per lb tor cheese, which is greatly above tho average of colonial sales.