THE BACON INDUSTRY.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXII, Issue 16, 20 January 1910, Page 5

THE BACON INDUSTRY.

MEETING OF SETTLERS

The proposal to establish a co-oper-ative bacon-curing factory in the vicinity of Damievirke was last night advanced another stage when 11 further meeting was held in the club room of Andrews' hotel, at which the following, gentlemen were present: —Messrs* Bell, Capper, MacKay, StanfielG, Law, Peacock, Meakin, Norcros», Berg, M'Connell, Stubbs, and Dobson (secretary;. Mr Bell occupied the chair, and in introducing the business of the evening said that some days ago a fairly well attended meeting, convened b/ Mr Capper and himoclf, had been held at Kiritaki, at »vhich settlers from Maharahara, Kiritaki, and Te Rehunga had been present. At that meeting a comparative statement had been put before the settlers, showing the profit made from five pigs dealt with by the local factory, as against that to be made at the price given by Dimock and Co. (this statement was published in the Advocate on 3rd instant). On this basis it was estimated that a factory could be made to pay handsomely, but while the meeting was being' held a telegram hac. been received from Wellington stating that the price of bacon, had dropped Id per lb, but even then it was considered there was a fair margin of profit. After fully discussing proposal in all its bearings, the Kiritaki meeting had decided to form a co-operative company, embracing the farmers from Woodvillc to Damievirke, with a nominal capital of £7OOO, of which £BOOO would be called up, the maximum number of shares to be held by any one man to be 50, and the minimum 5. The idea was to form a co-operative company, with a guarantee that every shareholder would supply all the pigs raised on his farm. The general opinion was distinctly against a joint and general guarantee, but it was thought that if the farmers would band together they could easily raise enough money to purchase land and plant and provide a healthy working account. A committee had been appointed as the result of the Kiritaki meeting, for the purpose of procuring details as to sites, cost of plant, including a digester, refrigerator, etc., and "they had now been informed that such a plant would cost them £2500, exclusive of land. The committee had then decided that the paid-up capital of the company must be £3500. They had also decided that a meeting " should ,be called at Dannevirke to discuss the proposal with the farmers in this part of the district. In speaking the mind of the Te Rehunga settlers, he might say they were all keenly in favor of the proposal, and were anxious to take up shares, but they were equally determined to have nothing to do with the company unless every shareholder was / bound down to supply the company and no other firm. The condemnation of pigs owing to disease was a phase of the question that no company could ignore. He understood that Messrs Dimock and Co. were deducting some 33-J- per cent, on the live weight of pigs, thus allowing themselves some 13£ per cent, as an insurance fund against loss by condemnation. He recognised clearly that the time was coming when all pigs killed for human consumption must be subject to Government inspection, and to meet this the company proposed from the very outset to place themselves under Government control in this respect, in order that they might get the benefit of a high reputation for the cured article. It was now for the farmers to say whether the proposal was to come to a head or not. Since their movement had started, he had heard it stated that a counter movement was afoot in Dannevirke, but personally he did not care whether the factory was in Dannevirke or not, so long as the farmers would make rip their minds to loyally support their own concern, and have no pigs for any one else. He mentioned the case of a Taranaki co-operative factory, which had been wrecked simply because the farmers had been tempted to leave it by the offer of a 3d per lb more made by a rival firm. What they had to do was to bind themselves to supply their pigs only to their own factory, and when the balance-sheet was produced, they could then divide what profit there was amongst themselves by way of a bonus.

Mr Bell then invited any of those present to express their views upon the question. Mr Law said he quite agreed with the suggestion that the shareholders should be bound to supply all their pigs to the company, otherwise that would be the rock on which they would be wrecked. He had a very vivid experience of that in connection with the Longburn Freezing Company, and it was a lesson lie would not readily forget. In answer to a question by Mr Law, Mr Bell said the committee had looked at several sites, and they had seen a likely one at Maharahara, only about 5 or 10 chains from the railway siding, with good drainage. The site was on the banks of the Rapa-rapa-wai, and the land was the property of Mr Gaisford. They had also seen a good site at Oringi, but a fatal objection was that the land was native land. The question of the attendance at the meeting was discussed, and MiLaw suggested holding a meeting at Umutaoroa. Mr Dobson said he had been in communication with Norsewood that day, and had been informed that the matter had been discussed by the directors of the Norsewood dairy factory, all of whom were in sympathy with the movement, and they would guarantee an attendance if a meeting was held there. Mr Bell remarked that he was quite prepared to go to Norsewood, as the idea Avas to hold meetings in the various centres, before the canvassers were sent out. After getting the ideas of the settlers as expressed in these meetings, they might draw up a constitution binding the shareholders to supply their pigs only to the company. Mr Capper suggested that it might be necessary to employ an inspector to see that this condition was carried out. Mr Law advocated a heavy penalty for a breach of this rule. Mr Bell mentioned that loose bylaws had got the Taranaki Company before mentioned into trouble. What they wanted Mas a constitution beyond which the settlers could not get. Mr Law then asked the chairman to give them some further informa-

tion regarding the counter movement* of which lie had spoken. Mr Bell stated that a telegram had been sent to him saying that if it was proposed to start a hole and corner movement an opposition company would be started in Dannevirke. They must have a factory in Dannevirke and the company must be open to all who close to take up shares. Mr Lav.- was strongly opposed to this, as non-suppliers might come and out-vote suppliers. Mr Capper safd he could not see what they coidd do until they had visited Norsewood. Mr Law said he was afraid lie could not act on a deputation to go to Norsewood . Mr Peacock said his lease was too short to warrant him in taking much part in the company. This caused Mr Law to raise the question as to how a number of leaseholders whose leases were falling in shortly would be treated supposing they took up shares and afterwards ceased to supply. Mr Bell said lie favored a scheme whereby such shares could be bought up by the company. Reverting to the subject of the condemned pigs the chairman said that if the plant included a digester the loss would not be so great as at first it might appear to be, as the Government paid the sum of 10s for every condemned pig, and then the carcas could be put through the digester and turned into manure. Mr Dobson pointed out that if the Government paid 10s for the pig, the carcas was then the property of the Government.

The -chairman then invited Mr Buiek to jiive the meeting' his views, and lie did so, emphasising the need for undivided support, a guarantee of loyalty to the company on the part of the shareholders, the thorough inspection of all pigs killed, the elimination of disease hy pasteurising the milk and whey fed to pigs. Given these conditions he saw no reason why the company should not he a success. He also strongly advocated holding meetings in different centres and not attempting to do all the work from Dannevirke, as farmers could not possibly come into town at night at this time of the year. The question of whether they should accept whey-fed pigs or not was introduced by Mr Peacock, and caused-considerable discussion, it being generally admitted that the wheyfed pig was more subject-to disease and was not so valuable as the milkfed pig, but the meeting was not able to make up its mind whether they should be excluded or not. Mr M'Connell gave some interesting comparisons between the two classes of pigs, and his verdict against the whey-fed pig was endorsed by Mr Norcross. Mr Bell said, on the authority of Mr Stone, that more pigs were condemned because of diseases arising from want of proper attention than from tuberculosis. Mr Law said he knew from his own experience that this was so. Mr M'Connell attributed much of the disease amongst pigs in the North Island to want of proper feeding in the winter . The pigs were allowed to get into such a low condition that they were susceptible to any and every disease that was passing, and Mr Peacock agreed with him. Mr Capper then proposed that as many of the committee as possible should visit Norsewood and other centres, with a view to setting up local committees to further the movement. This was seconded by Mr Mackay. Continuing the discussion, Mr M'Connell suggested as a means of eradicating disease, expelling all suppliers who sent in a certain percentage of diseased pigs. Mr Law then raised the question of the bacon market, and in reply to him Mr Bell said he noticed a movement had been instituted up North for freezing pigs and shipping them Home, but he understood that pork did not freeze well, as it deteriorated in thawing. Mr Peacock mentioned that Borthwick Bros, had been buying pigs and freezing them for years, and he had never heard that it was not a success. The motion was then put to the meeting and carried unanimously. A committee meeting was _ subsequently held, when it was decided'to visit Norsewood and other centres, and it was left to Mr Dobson to arrange the Norsewood date.