POPULAR RESIDENTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 26 June 1924, Page 9

POPULAR RESIDENTS.

LEAVE KAKARAMEA. FAREWELL TO CROSBIE FAMILY. The residents of the Kakaramea district, together with a number of friends from other parts, assembled at the new hail last night to.avail themselves of the opportunity of saying farewell to Mr and Mrs J 3. Ci’osbie and family, who leave shortly for Tamaki, Dannevirlce.

The evening took the form of a social gathering ami dance, and the enthusiastic -manner in which all present assisted towards making the evening a, success was expressive of the high' esteem in which the guests of the evening are held by everyone whose good fortune it has been to come into contact with them. Mr Crosbie, who was appointed manager of the Kakaramea Dairy Company in 1912, when that position was vacated by Mr T. Robertson, is a well-known exhibitor at all the principal dairy shows, he having exhibited with distinct success since 1915, when he won the medal of honour at the Panama Exhibition. In 1916 he followed up .this achievement by winning the New Zealand championship at the National Dairy vShow at Palmerston North, and the same year the Henry A. Lane Challenge Cup ,and the Shaw Savill Cup at the Hawera Show. The gold medal for the highest aggregate in all cheese classes at the 1919 New Plyouh Show followed. Last year was another milestone along his path of progress, for in 1923 he exhibited at the New Plymouth Show, and was the winner of the Shaw Savill Cup, the gold medal for open classes in export cheese, and the gold medal for the highest aggregate in all cheese classes. This year he was the winner of the Clement "Cup at Palmerston North. Mr Crosbie’s capabilities as a dairy factory manager, are further borne out by the fact that his grading notes at Patea are always recognised as being amongst the highest issued at that port. Just before supper those present availed themselves of the opportunity of expressing their appreciation of, Mr and Mrs Crosbie’s stay amongst them by making a presentation and by giving voice to eulogistic references to the guests in a few short speeches. .Proceedings were opened by Miss McDonald, who with a few weil-chosen words presented Mrs Crosbie with a beautiful bouquet. Mr P. Tong, chairman of the Hall Committee, said that Mr Crosbie had lived in Kakaramea for a number of years,; he having filled the position of first assistant at the factory before he was appointed manager 13 years ago. The Crosbies were held in high esteem, and. the people of the district felt they could not allow them to depart without expressing their appreciation of their stay' with them. ' Mr A. Pearce, chairman of the Kakaramea Dairy Company,' said that Mr Crosbie had climbed from the bottom rung of the ladder, until he was now one of the best dairy factory managers in New Zealand. Mr Crosbie’s factory had been taken as a model, and when they got a model for New Zealand they had got a model for the world. He was pleased to know that Mr Crosbie was making another forward move in his work by obtaining a factory of 1000 tons 1 output. He had much pleasure in presenting Mr Crosbie with a purse of sovereigns, .notwithstanding the fact, that the sovereigns were only paper. Mr D. Chamberlain, as a director of the Dairy Company and a personal friend of the Crosbie family, said it was his privilege to say a few words. However, he felt that he could not adequately put his thoughts into words that would do justice, to the occasion. They were all present that night to say good-bye to two' of ’Kakaramea’s most highly respected citizens in the person of Mr and Mrs Crosbie, who-had been associated with Kakaramea and the Patea- district for the past 15 years. Mr Crosbie was a highly successful dairy factory manager/ and there were few in the Dominion who held such records as he did. Cheesemaking is a work of art. and when a factory manager had to deal with 42 suppliers there was hound to he some inferior milk brought to him. Nine times out of ten the man - concerned was ignorant- of j his offence, but the man who could/satisfy everyone had not ye: been bc)rn. Mr Crosbie was a man of action and well informed, and Mrs Crosbie was a gentleminded but withal proud little lady. • He wished the C.'osbie family health, long life, and happiness. Mr G. H. Buckeridge said he represented a firm through whom the Kakaramea Dairy C<>. had been sending fits produce for the last 10 years, and during chose 10 years he had kept a careful watch upon the progress that had heei made in the manufactured article tha: had been sent to the peojfie on the otter side of the world. The best trilute Mr Crosbie could have with regard to his work was the record of the griding notes during those 10 years. DT Crosbie had reached the highest standard of grading that it had ever bien Mr Buckeridge’s privilege to ■ handle. (Applause.) “Mr Crosbie’s retard has been one of continued progress, and, more than that, the man vho sets out each year to improve a 'ood record and succeeds in doing it is a very remarkable man,” said Mr Buckeridge. What Mr Crosbie’s work had been worth in £.s.d. to the farmers of the district it would be hard to say, but certainly they all owed him a deep debt of gratitude. The following letter which Mr Buckeridge handed to Mr Crosbie speaks for itself: “I have much pleasure in stating that the record of the grading of cheese made bv you during the 10 years or more that it has been the pleasure of my firm to handle your product has been one of continued improvement, until in the end you have succeeded in making the very highest quality of article we have ever handled from New Zealand. The improvement in your quality is borne out by the following record of the first two and the last two years’ grading of your cheese while we have been handling it:

Crates Avg. grade Season. graded. Per cent. 1.914-15 2721 89.25 1915-16 2371 92.09 1922- 5920 92.11 1923- 6707 92.92 For the month of March, 1924, your average grade for 797 crates graded was 94.12 per cent, an extremely , high standard, and one parcel of 55 crates reached the phenomenal grade of 95 per cent.’’ Mr A. F. Neil son. Dominion secretary of the Factory Managers’ Association. said that as a factory manager Mr Crosbie was lie!cl in very high esteem amongst the managers of Taranaki, His grading notes had been very high, and the figures quoted by Mr Buekeridge were n credit to Mr Crosbie, and the work which he had done. Higher quality dairv produce was most important, and the factory managers at their annual conference had of late years boon constantly at the-Govern-ment to take up research work and establish laboratories. Mr D. M aids said Mr Crosbie had

proved himself one of the leading managers in the Dominion, and he pointed out that it was always harder in a district such as Kakaramea, where the pastures were rich, to manufacture nigh quality cheese than it was in a district where the pastures were not so 1 rich. The matter of research work had been too long delayed, and the time was ripe for the dairy men to go into harness with, the managers and press for what was such an urgent need. There were something like 500 factories in the Dominion, and they had the responsibility of turning out each year £16,000,000 worth of produce. Continuing, Mr Wards paid a tribute to Mrs Crosbie, and made, special mention of her activities in the debating society. Mr Honey, who was asked to say a few words, created much amusement by his humorous remarks. He said he had known * ‘Harry” before he was factory manager; in fact Harry had often, come to him for “tick” for cigarettes; but when he had paid him he had always asked him to have a little liquid refreshment. However, there was one thing that was not quite fair, and that was that while he bought Mr Crosbie’s cheese, Mr Crosbie did not buy his bread. Mr Crosbie said he most sincerely thanked. all present for the gift and the nice’ things that had been said about him. As far as his, work was concerned he had always been deeply interested in it. ’Factory managers had been able to keep up the standard of the produce by the introduction of new machinery, but the time had arrived when they must find some means of improving the raw material. As far as inferior, milk was concerned he would not handle it, and if he could not handle good milk he would not handle any at all. Mr Neilson. was a very modest man, who had said a lot of nice things, but he had not said how good his own work was. Dir Crosbie said he had been chasing Mr Neilson for the past three years, for Mr Neilson had put through Patea the highest quality cheese during that pel’iod. •In conclusion Mr- Crosbie quoted the following lines:

There’s many a man known to fame Who would have failed to win the game But for some little woman who, sitting humbly in the dark, Still made her old man toe the mark

With patience superhuman. And when he climbs from out the ruts How highly he steps and proudly tells his story; His wife beholds a crowing gent. And sweetly smiles, for she’s content In a reflected glory.