DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 August 1927, Page 9

DAIRY INDUSTRY.

NDEiMANBY COMPANY’S ANNUAL 'MEETING. There w,asi an attendance of about thirty supplieiisi at t'h-o annual general meeting el the Nei'inxuiiby Co-operative Dairy Oomipanj’ held to-day, "11011 Mr. L<\ W. Atkins (chairman oi directors) presided. 111. moving tJm adoption of -tlio a.ll- - report (already published in the “.Star”) and balance-sheet, the chairman said that lie had to congratulate suppliers 011 increased production, which has shown the marked increase of 3.87 per cent, for" milk and 0.8 per cent, fur butter-fat. 'This indicated very pointedly tlnat suppliers were attending tu their business and adopting improved method® of farming. This increased production had been somewhat of an offset against the low prices received for produce", which had for the past season been marketed by the Control Board.

The produce for the coming season will he, to a certain extent, under precontrol 'Condition®, and factories could attend to the marketing of their own produce. The market was very firm at the prose lit time and the outlook lor the coming season was good. Towards the latter end of the season the directors decided to work the small milk heater, with the idea of producing a pasteurised article, and so procured some 575. crates of “finest’ Cheese. This 1 went to show that had the manager had pasteurised milk from which to manufacture cheese the percentage of finest grade would have been high. He considered that the low percentage of finest grade wjas due to the output not being pasteurised, but it was pointed out that the general quality was high, only 1.7 per cent, being second grade. In conjunction with the laboratory, an experiment was carried out with the cheese press drainings (which contain. a .high percentage of fat) as to the value when made into' butter, the result being a marketable article, which wiaisi found to be quite saleable. bellowing this, representations have been made -to the Minister of Agriculture tc have the regulations so altered to allow thiis valuable residue to be utilised. The directors were approached by the Vacuum. Products Co. for permission to pack 100 cheeses'. Ibis was given and the cheese has been shipped through the Control Board in the. ordinary way. Jn response to" requests from minier•'.Vjs suppliers, a petrol bo wiser was in stalled last December, and as the result of the saving obtained the directors decided to '.install another of a different brand, to enable users of this particular brand of benzine to participate in the benefits derived. For a great many years the dam and water race have been a great anxiety to the manager in dealing with excessive water in flood time, so the director® decided to put in an overflow. This work wla® carried out by the Hawera County Council in conjunction with the factory staff, and proved to be a satisfactory job. After due consideration, the directors decided, to dispense with the steam engine .and install an emergency motor The space occupied by the engine was utilised bv installing another cheese vat, which will hold the, increased supply' for some time to come. A nejv 100 gallon Westphalia separator was installed last spring to replace the old machine, which was disposed of. Two email anlctors were also installed to drive the separators, thereby relieving the* water-Avlie-e'l from excessive -work. This proved a, great success, both as regards cost (and upkeep. A new whey churn had also been installed as the old one was beyond repair after Having 14- years’ continual service. In conclusion, he wished to express his thanks to co-directors, .secretary, manager and staff for their valuable ussiuS.iU.nce and hearty co-operation. Reviewing the accounts, the chairman .said that depreciation had not been so heavy as usual because the directors considered that in view of the low prices secured for the season and as factory and plant had all been well maintained, they were entitled to reduce the amount for depreciation for the year. The charges to i.0.b.. cornering with a similar year, 1925, although there were 81 tons increase in output, were less than for 1927, There was a total reduction from stage to f.o.b.‘of £484 and from f.o.b. to London £295. Ocean freights had been reduced by £BBI, a reduction of I.3—d per lb. This he assumed would have been due to the. good work of the Dairy Board in making a more favourable contract with the shipping companies. There had been also- a considerable saving in exchange, the rate having been reduced to 12; 6 per cent. The total cost f.o.b. to London bad been reduced in all £IS22, and comparing still with 1925, the two 3 ears had been as follows: Stage to f.o.b 3 48d and 3.13 d, f.o.b. to Loudon 4.33 d and 3.59 d, tor 1925 and 1927 respectively. It bad cost in all 1.19 d less than in 1925 but a« against that 110 depreciation had been allowed. Wages showed an increase of £l5O, due to the increased total manufactured i. ” quisites were reduced by £164, repairs by £287, fuel by £l7, and crates, etc., were cheaper by 7d each. In renly to a question, the chairman said the increase in the amount under the heading of land from £1550 to £1937 was accounted for by the purI chase of two ae-es more land.

\ supplier questioned the item in the assets. “Bowser £20,” and it was explained that this represented the deposit on two petrol pumps, and that .suppliers were in this way getting ■ heaper benzine. Next year, said the secretary, they would set off profits on benzine against this figure. The Question of a penalty clause had been turned down by the directors, «aid the chairman. He added, m re-' plv to another supplier, that profits on benzine and rents had been put to the reserve, but Mr. Preston considered it would be advisable to show them under their own headings. Sundry charges, explained the secretary, included the expenses of delegates to N.D.A. conference at Rotorua and increased subsidy to the laboratory in Hawera. Mr. Preston said that the amount allowed for depreciation (£200) was much too little on wooden buildings where it was £354 last year. The chairman said- that the directo'-s had been over buildings and plant, and considered that all were well up to the present day values and were in first-class order. The motion was carried.

THE N.D.A. DECISION TO WITHDRAW. The question of the. company’s interest in the N.D.A. was considered at some length, and ns the outcome a motion, proposed by Mr. Preston and seconded by Mr. Jackson, was carried, that- the Normanbv Company withdraw from the National Dairy Association. Mr. Preston, in support of the motion, said there was too much overlapping, and it was time to curtail subsidiary organisations. Ho had no sympathy with th# N.D.A., and re-

called their want of support to the Rennet Company when he and others were carrying , that company in its struggling days. Now, he added, it was paying and making the best rennet in the world. Mr. Dane said the N.D.A. handled all the shipping and insurance for the Dairy Board. Mr. Jackson deprecated the N.D.A. going into competition with town firms handling the same commodities. They should adopt the maxim “live and let live,” The farmer, he added, was “the .greediest man on the earth.” Mr. H. Spratt said he would not be in favour of reconstruction of the company. On the motion re withdrawal from the N.D.A. being put, all but one supplier voted in favour. DIRECTORS. Messrs. A. Thrush, T. J. Hurley, C. J. Preston, and W. Mortlock were nominated, and Messrs, Thrush and Hurley were elected. AUDITORS. Mr. W. J. Tristram and Mr. H. A. Lennon were reappointed at the same remuneration as last year. Directors’ remuneration was- fixed, after some discussion, at 21s per month. The chairman’s honorarium was fixed at £75. It was resolved to pay interest on shares at the rate of 4 per cent per annum. A hearty vote of appreciation of the services of Mr. Mortlock, a retiring director, who was not re-elected, was carried unanimously.

THE ROTORUA CONFERENCE. The matter of the delegates expenses to the National Dairy Association conference (£35) occasioned much. ' discussion and some rather heated talk. It was explained by the chairman that all the directors' went because of the importance of the meeting, at which they had questions to consider of Articles of Association, and concerning the. dairy division and because Mr. Grounds was to be present and they wished to know more about the Control Board policy. Mr. Kennedy considered that it was a great trip at the company’s expense. Mr. Preston said he was amazed that seven men could go to Rotorua for £35. Mr. Kennedy said he still could not understand why the chairman did not go alone and report to the company on his return. • The secretary said that only bare travelling and board was paid, director-; each paying the >«st of expenses, and) that actually it cost less than if thev had paid all the- expenses of three for the whole- time they were away. It was not, he added, “a joy "Mr. Preston said that delegates should not he expected to pay any expenses at all. . , A supplier: “Wo are t-nhl it costless as it was «o wliv worry?” The matter was then dropped.

GENERAL. Later formal matters concerning alteration; to articles in association were dealt with and the meeting then concluded, with a vote of thanks to the chair, the mangel 1 and staff and to the Press.