SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY.

Waikato Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3647, 16 November 1895, Page 7

SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,—Your loader in to-day's issue, supporting the co-operation of nnr business men with the farmers in cultivating the beetroot, together with Oapt, Steele's letter, also advocating this coursa, is worthy of the attention of all who wish well to the district, as ifc will, be encouraging to the farmers to feel that they have their townsmen at their back. But the farmer must 1)3 the great factor in this industry. No consideration of site or siJe issue of commerce must be allowed to cast its shadow upon the farmers' side of the question. Experts, capitalists and Governments will only move in the matter when they are thoroughly convinced that the farmers are in accord in its favour. I consider it as ;certain that there will be three factories at ;work in the Wdikato as that there will be one factory at work, for the reason that I know eligible sites, and a sufficient area of suitable lands are available for the purpose in Waikato, and that if the first factory be successfully at work, the other sites will immediately be taken up, and capital for the factories forthcoming, upon ,the guarantee of the raw material. But on the other hand, if any influence is brought to bear on the legitimate grower of roots" to cause him to hold back from guaranteeing ■the supply > necessary to warrant the drat 1 ;factory being erected, then all the available sites and lands, will remain in their present state until the next turn of the I tide, as the present flood tide will have changed to ebb. It is therefore as certain ! that Ngaruawahia, Hamilton and Cam- ; bridge will each have their sugar factories | within tfie uext few years as that there will jbe a factory at all. The object sought for jiii spreading the areas in small'lots throughout the various„.centw and agricultural districts of the AVaiknto Middle Basin, available to uveraitfl wlway/communica:tion is to afford prbof to outside capital ■that we have a large, fielcl to work upon. ;I. quite agree , with your .correspondent, : 'Sugar Beet "where he states that it would :be better to get 250 growers' of 10 acres :each well distributed from Te Aroha to Alexandra than a few. Biit.. nevertheless, iCaptain Steele's: suggestion is very good, as jit will be a further guarantee to Mr Lewenjberg;, that;, there, will be no failure In ; .supply, , especialjy,, ,as. wo unde.r r i . that the mill -to bs ertictsd will ;be capable of dealing with' acres (if and in support of his proposals '! jihay mention that attached 'to the 1 factory ,will bß<an expert capable' of giving all the [technical advice and information which the [practical manager of the Auxiliary Beetroot Grpwers! Association, as suggested by iGaptaiii Steele, may require; therefore his ; proposals would be a safeguard to all interests concerned and, ensurethorough cooperation and success.''With regard' to freights and price of roots, it may ba taken 1 for'granted that no matter' where the factory is placed 2s per ton will be the freight,' the farmer loading and the mill unloading, the seed and manure for the first crop tq be advanced byithe company, repayable outof amounts receivable .for the roots! .The, price of fixed' for five years at £1 per ton for the whole crop produced from the company's seed and manure. Terms of payment, cash at, mill. These are the condjtionVftiJ.understand them to be of our contract/witli Mr Lewenberg, and this is why I advocate all to join in a guarantee for the'stipulated area of roots, in order thafrithe farmer's Bide/of the question may become an established believe that when this is so then all the rest sarely iifiiwe.getfMXUo 410,000 in seed and manure advanced ,io,us to put into our,lands it should be sufficient guarantee to us th^i£tlie u company is going with the, factory, for the value of,the cirop' when matured' would be double the cost' off the' seed and mahurej and the'roots would be i ours if 1 no factory went up. l f; Therefore,-> 1 > 'cannot ! >see l where any riskfingHaraiifceeing ourrespecfrodts .to Messrs-tewooberg "pdiPwlflV wh",,to imy..personal jknow-1 ledge, hpe, devoted a considerable ,?Mopt p ( ufi'i 0 alreajiy.iover the matter, at^, have in' open manner told us that'all they require from'us is'the'guaranty to«if'ow therootsj aiitf now'as'every English mail missed' is a loss of three months t" the enterprise—and it 1 will' require every available day to'have the factory ready by lst.'May, 1897, and all; arrangements icompjety.tP. start the machinery on that date—a|]j thej important fact, that teinpus fugit." All lists filled'up should be posted; to Mr Nicolas Lewenberg, care of ' John Douglas, land Auckland, and ;all;should be.'inj ! if .possible, a day; before' the closing' of the tiext Englishman, I November 30th.—Yours truly, H ' i i ;.iiir,;: VViLMAM A. Graham. ' The' Lodge, Hamilton,, November 14th, 1.81)5. _____ .