DAIRY FACTORY DESTROYED

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23541, 20 January 1942, Page 6

DAIRY FACTORY DESTROYED

FIRE IN NORTH TARANAKI BIG QUANTITY OF CHEESE ALSO LOST (PA) NEW PLYMOUTH, Jan. 19. Except for the boiler room, nothing was saved when fire destroyed the Waitoitoi Dairy Company's cheese factory to-day. The losses include expensive plant installed in August last year for the change from butter to cheese, and 1500 crates of cheese made during the last 18 days. Police investigations were made in the district to-day. The cause of the outbreak was unknown to-night. Insurance on buildings and plain destroyed total £IO,OOO. This does not include the cheese, which, valued a £5 10s a crate, is covered by a Marketing Department policy. With milk from 52 suppliers, .he five-vat factory was working an extra shift with three vats as a war effort. The night staff had ceased work an hour and a half before the fire was discovered about 3.30 o'clock. It originated apparently in the packing room. ... , Production will continue without interruption, arrangements having been made for the North Taranaki Dairy Company to take all the milk at its Onaero factory. Had it not been for yesterday's fire it was estimated that production for the 1941-42 seasons would have reached 700 tons of cheese. The cheese in the factory store was still burning to-night, and it was slated that it would probably be some time before it was burned out,