"FATHER OF DAIRY FAC-TORIES."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1034, 25 January 1911, Page 10

"FATHER OF DAIRY FACTORIES."

MR. CHEW CHONG HONOURED. At the Town Hall, New Plymouth, oil Saturday, Mr. Chew.Chong, who is often styled; the father of dairy factories 7 in Taranaki, was presented with an address as a recognition of the scrvicc rendered to the province by his enterprise in the early days.... In. reply, Mr. Chong was reminiscent, as will be seen from a perusal of the .following abridgment from the, Taranaki :—When 110 arrived in New Zealand,'ho' said;' he knocked .about the South .Island for three years, then came •to-Wellington, recognised the fungus,, went, into tho trade, and made, a good . profit. out'of it. • Other Chinamen arid many, .white pdoplo. then engaged in the business; Tho Maoris used to bring in ' cart loads, every'day; and one ,day. a taranaki'Maori told him there , was j'tlenty of fungus > there, • so he went ..to, . ji'ar'auaki. One'day, in the third week,' be.p.Vi<l but £65 cash for. fungus, at the .rate, of 55.; per bag.,. Then 'numbers of. '.peoplo; went, in 'for fungus-buyiiig; including "Messrs. Newman, '■■ Humphries, B. Cock, Kiiig, aiidShuttlewbrt-li Bro-; thers, and'from thirty-fivo'• to forty bullock. dray loads used to come in every day.- Ho; then started stores at New Plymouth, lnglewood, ?nd Eltliam. He .. tail. purchase;! forty, kegs of. ■■ butter, which lie could- not sell'in New Zealand,, so; he sent tlieso' to. England. Ho , lost mpney, as freight was so dear, and the! butter only realised.|4d. per lb. The butter was'very'bad, only fit for cart grease, so-tho agents informed him.. Mr. Hulke, of : Bell Block, advised him to get.; a- pair of; separators, at ; £95 each. He ;did.-so, and started -a factory, at Eltham in 1887, 'with s the registered brand "jubilee." The first butter he Bent Honio realised 955.,' whereas farmers' butter brought 70s. In 18S9 ho sent .twenty boxes to'the Exhibition at Duuedin. lie never thought to secure ■ the prize, as it took ,about-a: week geV ting; there, but lie got;- first 'prize -and' second prize.' , Tho'Crown Dairy Com- • p.iny also 'took. prizes;.-''. 'In' : fact,- six• ■ Prizes came, to Taranaki.; A' coincidence ' Was . tnjD. fact' that' a! Chinese flag. was flying over his butter,' -although at tlio > time- it; was not known to be 1 his.' Tho papers could not: understand it—they nad'never dreamt that a. Chinaman could beat an Englishman or an Irishman,-and be; gat- inquiries as to-his methods from all over Neiv .Zealand., .'The first year lie gave 2d. per gallon: for milk, and lost .011 ■ it,' as it was too expensive to nianuiactUre, though butter sold locally, at. ls. ■ 2d. 'and' Is. '3d. Next year he - , bad 'to give' 3d... per; gallon,' butter was a ';.bad ' price, 'arid t lie lost. over.. £1000. While there were few cows lie was asked to erect creameries. . He. erected three, ,but when cows were plentiful tliey started co-operative .factories'. Ho had;, to give JcL.per lb. extra for milk'to'sequre' trade; and'-:eveii tlion: lie could not get much.j'.'He losi; over'£7ooo.' .'-He stuck.' at itWor . sixteen or'; seventeen years, •bnt%lost - thought he had'.bQeh. 'troated very, shabbily. ", }Vhy did 'npt.;tlie;'c6-.operativo' people buy;him out,even- .'.if,.the'y had;'only.;'paiflv-half the cost of . his . plant P.- As- a matter of fact, they said, "Look at Joll and the Crown Company,' they are l making fortunes." . Well, .lie : lost his.: His .ten separators were sold at tho foundry for 2s. 6d.: per try ;iood, because-''since .the.'; estii|lislt inen(| of daif.'riactpriqs the vai'utewMiN had-grown like a mushroon). Ho was very pleased to accept this memento.