The Waikato Time AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, SEPT. 20, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2527, 20 September 1888, Page 2

The Waikato Time AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, SEPT. 20, 1888.

In another column will be found a circular, which lias been forwarded to us for publication by the manager of the New Zealand Dairy Association, in which appears the gratifying announcement that the Association has decided to give an additional farthing for every gallon of tnilk supplied to their factory during the current season. The increase price is given as a "bonus " to the milk-suppliers who have already supported the Association's operations, and have joined in the agreement made between them for the present year. The spirit displayed by the Association is one that highly commends itself to all who are desirous of advancing the development of the dairy industry. It is an assurance that other than mere gain or selfish interests influence the actions of the company's directors, who must be possessed of sufficient foresight to feel that by sparing no efforts to assist the farmers in the infancy of the industry, its future success, expansion and permanency as a valuable colonial staple will be promoted and secured. The increase in the price also will tend to allay a certain sensation of discontent amongst farmers at the rate they | were to receive for their milk at the factories, and this dissatisfac--1 tion will give place to a sense of pleasure and encouragement, the more so that the advance has been a spontaneous one 011 the part of the Association, and quite unexpected by the suppliers who were already bound by the agreement entered into fixing the payments at the lower scale. It is to be hoped that the course so wisely adopted by the Dairy Association will produce the result hinted at in their circular, namely, that it will be encouraging enough to induce many other farmers to come forward and join in the guarantee to supply milk to the factories. The opportunity for them to do so will remain open till the second week in October. To those who have watched the growth of the dairy, with all the aids brought to bear upon it by uiodorn scientific skill, both in the Mother Country and America and the colonies, the indications are clear that it will become a gigantic institution in all those countries, and destined to occupy a premier position in the economy and wealthproducing forces of their industrial classes. In the United Kingdom so important has the dairy become in th<? agricultural world that it is regarded as the hope and prop to lift the farming interests out of the state of decay and despondency into which the failure of many years' operations have thrown them. We can safely assume the same position for it here. When thoroughly organised and placed on a lasting foundation, the dairy will be the sure hope of our farmers where other agricultural pursuits may fail or decline. The state of the English, as well as other foreign, markets where high prices are realised for dairy produce, and where there is no limit to the consumption, affords sufficient evidence of the future of the dairy industry in New Zealand. This colony is gifted with so many exceptional advantages, that it only requires care and scrupulous good management, as well as public spirit, to assert the superiority of our dairy products and secure for them a favourite place in outside markets. There has already been shown in numbers of places a marked partiality for the New Zealand articles, and it would be rank folly for our producers and exporters to neglect to follow up the advantages already gained so as to continue to make ground in the race,, against all other competitors.

Whilst on this question, we are again forcibly reminded of the extraordinary perversity persisted in by the Government of the country in pursuit of a fatuous policy detrimental to the progress and settlement of the colony. When the Atkinson Ministry surprised the country last session with its Protection Tariff, they put forward in their justification that tlicy were anxious to assist local industries. This was, of course, a bit of bluff, for the only ostensible idea that predominated their minds was to .squeeze the uttermost farthing from the people in the shape of revenue. In any case, we were convinced that the agricultural industries would be the greatest sufferers from the new financial policy. They are not to receive any encouragement; that goes, if there is any of it, to bolster a few companies who were endeavouring to keep afloat a few tottering ventures. The New Zealand Freezing Company, and after them, the Dairy Association, of which Mr Spragg is the energetic and efficient manager, have striven hard to obtain from the Premier and Minister of Public Works some concession in the railway rates, in order to assist the development of the dairy industry. There is no question that the rates on the Waikato lines are a very serious impediment in the way of success. The Government should be the very last party to do injury to so important and valuable a national enterprise as the dairy industry undoubtedly is. Tlieir duty and anxiety should be to remove every difficulty that lies in the path of success, and they should be only too ready to give all who are engaged in its pursuit the utmost encouragement and aid. If they reflected properly on the aspects of the subjsct from a national and economic point of view, they would not fail to realise the fact that the railways of vbo State are not to be

manipulated in such a way as to (lamp the energies and enterprise of the. people, particularly the agricultural portion of them. In this l>road view in the character of our railways, the whole Government, Premier, Minister of Public Works, and Mr Maxwell, fail signally in their duty to the country. They positively refuse to grant any concession to assist the dairy industry. If we are to have protection, then let us be fair all round, call the concession asked for, protection if you will, it will help to build up a department of our greatest industry, that of agriculture, the one at present which suffers most from the so-called protective tariff.