DRIED MILK

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 21, 24 July 1918, Page 2

DRIED MILK

FEARS OF EXPLOITATION

TARANAKI FARMERS' ACTION,

What the veteran dairy-farmer Mr. Jacob Marx described as the "dried milk fever" has spread to Tarana-ki. A large and thoroughly representative I meeting of the butter and cheese' markets met at Hawera on, Saturday and went into the whole matter. Mr. A. Morton, president of the National Dairy Association, opened the subject, describing what -t—4 been done in the past in New Zealand in the manufacture of dried milk, and what is'now being done in the Wai-. \kato in this matter, details of which have appeared in The Post from time to time. The Hawera Star reports Mr. Morton as stating that the position to-day appeared to be that there was a possibility of dairy farmers being exploited by proprietary concerns, and it was therefore up to co-frperati-ve dairy companies to be up and doing in an endeavour to keitt their business in their own hands, and for cooperative companies or an aniajgamation of co-op, dairy companies to secure whatever there might be in the dried, milk or sugar of mill? business. In so far as cheese companies were concerned, lie believed that it would be found, after full enquiry, that instead, of going into the question of dried milk it would be far more profitable for them to go into sugar of milk wfiich would enable them to carry on their cheese-making industry, and from the by-product—whey—manu-facture a profitable article in sugar of milk. In regard to both dried milk and sugar of mjlk thsy should endeavour to'gain more, information, and tKey wanted that information to bs as reliable as possible co that when'^ the question of amalgamation of companies came before suppliers their proposals mu3t show clearly what it was proposedl to do and what the returns would probably be.. 1 NO ROOM FOR PROPRIETORS. . Their aim should be to keep the movement entirely with co-operative companies. There "was no room.' for proprietary concern^ Co-operative concerns had, in the past, run their business satisfactorily, and they should now show _a united front against the possible intrusion of proprietary concerns. He was convinced there was some profit in these projects, and' that it was going to pay dairy companies to go thoroughly into the matter. At the present time they could do little more than obtain information, but even supposing that that information indi- | cated that there was- a market for these J products, the manufacture 1 of dried milk j and sugar of milk, was confronted with | difficulties in the way of obtaining plant \ and materials required. .. .. , I Mr. H. D. Forsyth moved to the effect : that ■ dairy companies should make the , fullest investigation into the.dried milk | and sugar of milk manufacture, and that ! a committee be appointed with power ;to send a delegation to America or elser where for the*purpose of obtaining information on the subject. .-.- . Mr. Forsyth strongly advocated not letting manufacture of the milk products referred to go cut of co-operative concerns. .-.-.. THE MEN AT THE FRONT. Mr. Ga-ne, who seconded the'motion, 1 supported Mr. Forsyth in keeping the business of dried milk in co-operative hande. However, he held that before factories, decided to go "in for the manu- I | facture of these products they should ! determine that until the end of-the 'war, at any rate, they would continue" to make cheese. Even if they lost money in so •doing, they should be loyal'to the men at the front, a.nd continue to mfike a food that could be; fient to .them In portable | shape. ..-■-. :" ', ...'•'■■ ■ ■"■■: ■'■ 'v :

Mr..: W. D. Powdrell, of the Great Kaupokonui Cheese Factory* -referring to sugarof- milk, said he had a cable from London stating that the present price was 7s per lb. On the other hand they had the average market quotations from 1000, and they were 'as follows: 1900, £45 per ton; 1901, £44; 1902 £40; 1903, £40; 1904, £52; 1905, £58; 1906, £61; 1907, £60; 1908, £49; 1909, £46; and 1910, £43. Seven shillings per lb represented, roughly, £800 per ton, and indicated a very considerable discrepanqy between present-day and pre-war prices. A plant to treat 12.000 gallons of milk daily would cost £12,300 to £12,400. He supported the idea of sending delegates to the United States to go into the whole matter. • .-•'■•>

Some speakers held that much information was available within the Dominion, and did ' not consider it necessary to send a delegation abroad until all this information had been gathered. An amendment to Mr. Forsyth's motion that a committee .be set up to gather all information within the. Dominion and report to a general/ meeting to be held at Hawera in .about two months' time was eventually carried.