FRUITGROWERS CO-OP.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3138, 9 October 1922, Page 5

FRUITGROWERS CO-OP.

About ioo members attended the annual meeting at Roxburgh on Thursday, the room being more than comfortably filled. Mr John Bennetts who presided, in moving the adoption of the report, referred to the satisfactory growth of the business. The new property was approachable on three sides, and the price 1 £4,600 _was considered very reasonable. He referred to the necessity for improved railway wagons, and was glad to say that Some were being built. Mr Leslie, who seconded the proposition remarked that (he business in a short time would be paying dividends. Several speakers, dealing with the balance sheet, said that the success of the society was not to be gauged by whether the balance-sheet showed a profit or a loss, but only by the returns secured by the shareholders for their J fruii.

In response to a question, the mani ger gave the total commission earnings for 1921-22 as £6IOB 18s 3d. The refunds from agents totalled £833 1 is. The Dunedin commissions totalled Many questions were raised in regaid to the general management of the office, to which the manager gave fully detailed answers and explanations, which met with general approval. After a long discussion the report and balance sheet were adopted. Those who had been highly critical expressed the strongest faith in the co-operative principle, stating that their criticism did not arise from any antagonism to the society, but merely from a desire that the so.ciety should be run on the most efficient lines possible. The retiring members of Committee of Management were unanimously reelected—namely, Messrs E. Pinder (Taieri) S. A. Stevens (Clyde), and J. R. Webb (Cromwell)

On the motion of Mr G. Vernon it was decided to endorse the action of the directors in purchasing the site, and to authorise them to go on with 1 he erection of the building. The financing of the building was also discussed, and a motion by Mr Kitto, seconded by Mr Moody, was carried, deciding to ask all the shareholders to become joint signatories of the "joint and several'' agreement of the society. It was decided that special fruit in cases and half cases, as well as special fruit in crates, be not pooled. The following recommendation was agreed to: —" (1) That 2s per half case on pooled fruit be paid out fortnightly and that the balance be paid as soon as pools could be completed.' 1 The matter of pooling was discussed at great length. Mr Davidson submitted the following recommendation from Alexandra—"That we continue the pooling system for 12 months, and at the end of that period review the situation." A petition from Clyde was partially waived in favour of this. Mr* Davidson said that they would never get satisfaction from any pooling system until they had a proper grading system. —In the end it was decided to refer the whole matter of grading and pooling to a Committeej to act as a kiud of "round the table conference." The manager pointed out that it would not be competent for the meeting to alter the existing system, as notice had not been given to the shareholders, and they had not had an opportunity of considering the proposals.—lt was eventually agreed—'That a committee consisting of two delegates from Coal Creek, two from Teviot, two from Clyde, two from Alexandra, two from Cromwell, and two from Earnscieugh be set up to consider, along with the Committee of Management, the questions of pooling and grading and the £ reduction on every £SO of truit sold. Also that the petition from Clyde and Mr Davidson's recommendation be considered by the Committee, the meeting to take place at Clyde on Thursday the 12th inst. A recommendation was agreed to that the system of direct consignments to selling agents be made to apply to both islands, Wellington city excluded. A proviso was added that the recommendation apply only in the event of the pooling system being retained. The following recommendation was alio agreed to:— "That at least two selling agents be appointed in Wellington and Christchurch." A recommendation —'That the matter of freight charges from railhead to sale rooms be gone into and an endeavour made to make a more equitable charge throughout the whole of Otago"—was referred to the Committee already sef up to consider other matters. A hearty vote of thanks to the manager and stall for their loyal service and support was carried by acclamation, the Chairman referring in highly eulogistic terms to the conscientious and efficient manner in which the start had served the society.