TWENTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 August 1933, Page 12

TWENTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY

DAIRY COMPANY’S CELEBRATION

To mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the commencement of the In-ter-Wanganui Co-operative Dairy Factory Co. Ltd., a dinner and ball was given by the directors of the Company at the Public Hall, Hari Hari, last evening. The occasion was a red-let-ter day for Hari Hari, for visitors from all parts of the district and from Greymouth and Hokitika were present to take part in celebrations of one of the district’s most important factories. The concern has now £8 suppliers as contrasted with eight when the .factory commenced operations in 1908. Mr J. J. McKay, Chairman of Directors, presided, and other directors present were Messrs W. Searle, jnr., A.

Sutherland, G. Manship, J. Graham, and P. Hansen. The capacity of the hall was fully taxed and about 230 persons were present.

The Inter-Wanganui Company has at present the honour of holding the South Island Dairying Cup, given annually to the dairy factory with the highest grade of butter fat. and this trophy and a birthday cake occupied pride of place at the banquet. During the evening the cup was presented to the manager, Mr C. L. George, by Mr J. O’Brien, M.P. Proposing the toast of the Inter-Wanganui Dairy Co.op. Factory, Mr O’Brien said that, looking back over the past 25 years one could observe the great growth in the number of suppliers since first the Company commenced. Last year the Company had produced 187 tons of butter, to a value of about £17,000. To gain some idea of the progress the Company had made, he contrasted with that figure, the result of the Company’s working in 1909—the production of 31 tons of cheese, of a value of £lBl7. Mr O’Brien said he could recall that in the House of Representatives some years ago, the Acting Prime Minister, Mr J. G. Coates, had said that the West Coast was, on account of the dampness of its climate, totally unsuited for dairy farming. To that statement, Mr O’Brien said that he had re-

plied that the West Coast might quite easily become a second Taranaki. The fact that the South Island Cup for the highest grade butter fat average had come so often to the West Coast (it was at present held by the InterWanganui Company) certainly justified his statement. Mr O’Brien added that any idea the West Coast was unsuitable for dairying was by now absolutely disproved. He congratulated' the Company on the great progress itl had made, and wished them every sue-1 cess in the future. Referring to thoj quota system Mr O’Brien said that the general consensus of opinion seem-| ed to be that, whether the farmers j wanted it or not, the system was bound to come. So far as he was concerned, he was quite against anything which would tend to reduce production. It was a well-known fact that rickets, that complaint so serious in England, was due in some measure to too high' 1 a consumption of margarine. He could not see why a scheme should not be ’ evolved under which the people of England and for that matter, of Eur- ( ope, should not be supplied 'with all 1 the butter they needed. They certain- 1 ly were not getting it at present Mr • O’Brien next gave his views on the r banking situation, and said that it (

was his opinion that the time would soon come when the control of credit and currency “will he taken from the hands of private individuals and handed over to the State.” REVIEW OF THE YEARS. Responding to the toast Mr McKay thanked all those who had attended, many from long distances, in such inclement weather- conditions. He spoke of the great growth in the production and work of the Company in the years since its inception, and said that to Mr Sam Wall could be given credit for initiating the movement that led to the company being formed. Mr Wall was also the first secretary to the Company. The second secretary of the Company, Mr Chinn, who was present at the dinner, had done much to bring the Company successfully through a most difficult period. In 1913, the

Company had faced, and successfully surmounted, serious difficulties, for a particularly severe Hood had made conditions difficult for suppliers. In 1929.

said Mr. McKay, had commenced the disastrous slump, and now the dairy farmer was faced with one' of the most serious problems that had ever confronted him—a. possibility of limiting production under a quota system. In spite of all the encouragement to greater production given him by herd testing, the dairy farmer now had to listen to the statement, “We don’t want all you produce, but only a' certain amount of it.” He was confident, however, that the future would bring a solution and that the menace of limited production under the quota system would be averted. The toast of “Kindred Dairy Factories” was given by Mr W. Searle, jnr., who said that the Inter-Wanganui Company had always maintained friendly relations with other district companies. What competition there had been had always been conducted in a friendly and cheerful spirit. Responding, Mr W. Fleming said that his Company, the Kokatahi Dairy Factory, which had been runner-up in the South Island Dairying Cup Com- j petition, wished sincerely to eongratu-1 late the Inter-Wanganui Factory on I their well-deserved success. I Mr A. R. Elcock extended congratu-

lations and best wishes from the Arahura Factory and referred to the failure of the recent World Conference, stating that it was the opinion that such gatherings were useless. Mr H* G. Carter spoke of the great problems with which the future would confront the industry. Rationalisation of the system was the only way out. and would have to be done, he eonI tended. j Messrs E. Kirby (Central Dairy FacJtory), T. Mcßride (Matainuit, and ■ Martin (Waitaha) also responded. ! Speaking of the quota system. Mr T. O’Neill, Kokatahi, said that he entirei ly disagreed with Mr. O’Brien’s stateiment that the quota system was coming. It could not come, If it did, it would push into insolvency those farmers who had been lucky enough to weather the present storm. He also referred to the need for co-operation amongst dairying men, and said that if selfishness was abolished, with it i would go depression. | Other toasts proposed were “Past' Chairman and Directors”, proposed by J Mr P. Hansen, and responded to by Messrs W. Searle, senr., and G. Robertson; “Managers and Secretaries, past and present”, proposed by Mr A. Sutherland. and responded to by Messrs'

I Chinn, Barrett, Lucas and George, and , “The Ladies” proposed by the Rev. Mr 1 Dewar, and responded to by Mr M. L. | Daly. < Songs were given by Mrs George and Mr J. Roberts. Ah enjoyable dance, at which the attendance was even larger, followed the dinner.' Apologies for absence and wishes lor the continued success of the factory were sent by Mr and Mrs W. Jeffries, Mr H. Hende, Mr A. S. Thorpe. Mrs Houlahan, Mr. A. Doig, Mr. C. Rose, Mr H. L. Michel and Mrs S. Michel, Mr P. J. McLean, Mr W. Jamieson, Mr Bernard Ward, Mr J. Mulcare, Mr Ramsay Reid, Mr D; J. Evans, Mr John Ryan, Mrs Glass. Mr AV. Blackadder, Mr James King, Mr J. Havill, Mr T. McMahon, Mr P. J. O’Regan, Mr J. Murdoch. Mr Frank McGregor, Mr H. T. Parry, Mr Frank Haddock (a director of the Company), Mr and Mrs J. Manera, Mr A. Baker, and Mr J. J. Mclntosh.