THE BACON INDUSTRY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 17 October 1928, Page 4

THE BACON INDUSTRY.

- * INGLEWOOD OOMPANY. A GOOD TEAK:. At the annual meeting of the Inglewood Bacon Company on Saturday at Inglewood, Mr A. MoiAon, chairman ot directors, said: ‘-‘The year lias been an eminently satisfactory one. We have paid out full market price, that is the price advertised by competitors, and in addition paid £4300 in bonuses. “Had suppliers sent 22,000 pigs handled during the year to proprietary concerns,” added Mr Morton, “those concerns would have put into then pockets £4300 profit on those pigs, but as a co-operative concern the company had made that profit and paid it back to suppliers in bonuses.

The change over to Smart Head, which had been made the previous year had again proved its value, enabling them to handle more pigs than the previous year. The company had killed 22,920 pigs, as compared with the previous year, an increase ot oi ol. Owing probably to the dry weather inning caused the milk supply to decrease rapidly and farmers to get their pigs oti sooner than usual, more porkers had been received. Indeed, the changed msition had been remarkable. In the i lovious year they had received 11,ckJ0 Leonora and less than 5000 porkers, while this year only 9000 baconerc had been received and nearly porkers. „ , Mr Morton added that there was no market in New Zealand except tor a \ ery limited number of porkers and tne i ejects from their killings were suttii.ient to meet local meeds. One of th problems which faced the growth of the industry was the disposal of reject pigs. \V ith the increase m the industiy which he foresaw the problem of the reject pig would be even greater. J.nose in is might- be quite good, but for some slight reason or other the Government inspector would not pass them tor e--oert. The directors desired above all to encourage shareholders to supplj first-class pTgs well, but not too we , fattened in which there would be a minimum number of rejections If they v.ere to maintain their position on the Home markets they would have to bear this point carefully in mmd feoai., Kcmiers "ere concerned they did no, esent the same difficulty. I ‘flefering to the demand at Home, Mr. Morton said its nature had alteip,i At one time pigs up to were regarded as porkers, but the aeniaud came for porkers nuder 110 l ), now the nig Dorn 601 b to 1001 b was regarded as the best porker; and if shareholders would endeavour to suonlv pigs within these limits it would heln materially. There was decreasing competition from the Continent so ai •is porkers were concerned, said Ml. Morton, but there was serious competition from there in the case of bacon The Continental growers oou.d p it their baconers on the market at a » cheaper rate. He behered tner. was a great future tor porkeis, so long ,i, the primest quality pigs of a weight to suit Ue demand were supplied to lac factory. . , . nir. Morton urged suppliois to take tiic "Teatest cate m iianunng pigs be...ueltuling, since any bruises or marks o.i tne carcase thus caused made it uuae.eptaole. on the other, side. Should any escape the inspection tins end the "!, s were rejected on the other side, a ini the loss came back on tne coindealing with the subsidy on pork Mr Morton said lie had little doubt tnat it would be continued, Since it came into operation Vd per lb had lueu added to the value oi the pig to me supplier. The company had actually paid suppliers since February r liist a sum ol £2370 12s Id n. subsidy. Every penny received from the Government iiatl been passed on, despite Uk* statements that had been made m some quarters to the contrary. Turning to the company s bMancesheet, the chairman said that 6000 snares had been allotted during the year and a sum of £16,671 paid up. 'J liat was the .largest number ot shares e rev taken up in any single year of the company’s operations, while the capital paid up was also the largest sum ever received in 12 months m respect of share capital. No expenditure was made during the year upon buildings, plant or machinery, which undoubtedly would have been the ease had the company not • shifted their opera lions to Smart Road. After paying out the bonus of £4300 right up to t ie last shipment on the Devon the ■ ompanv would still have a- credit at the bank, which reflected a highly satisfactory financial position.

In resnon.se to a query concerning the delay in the receipt of- cheques, t!ie chairman said that there rvere 991 suppliers of pigs last, season. and though the work was done expeditiously it was 'impossible to - send out all cheques at once. Another supplier questioned tho chairman’s statement that the average payment wa.s round about 6d per lb. Ilis was under od. The chairman said his statement was an average over the whole <onipany. Some suppliers’ individual averages might he higher and some lower.

In answer to a. question, the chairman .said the company’s stock of bacon a pd ha.niri at August 31 was very light. They had cured less bacon than they had for some time past, but were building up export trade. .All bacon far t.-.rips had experienced a. falling-off in local trade, which .had not been so cuorl {.lince January last, principally'

wing to the Government preventing the use of preservatives, wlricli was reflected in the quality, and the higher pricers riding as the result of a, shortage scare. That had given the local market ;i serious setback from wili-ieh it had not vat recovered.

In re.iv’.v to further questions, the man agar (Mr .1. Allan) sard that the had cutting of young pi.u-s and bruises were chiefly resnonsible for rendering pigs unsuitable for export. Mr Morton said in reply to Air Chapman that if farmers were prepared to accept grading on the hooks, the position could he met, but it would be iimiossib’-'. to grade unless everybody d : d so.. Out of their whole output only 214 pigs' were condemned, which was less than 10 per cent. The manager pointed out that the most damage was done bv bruising, strokes from the whin and through lifting by the tail, which left marks which ovd'' tlie f.arcasoN uiisi'iitable for export. C •• ndemiiat ion through disease was not re 'ironsih!'!' for -a very la. rgp percentage. T-Tadded that grass and whey-fed rigs: acre second-clays. Skim-milk

•.'Vsi were good for the pickled pork trade. During further discussion upon tho mint of duality, the chairman rnentionr.d fh°t when he was in Scotland t's, 1 shown some of the Inglewood Company’s pigs on the hordes ailrl wins - i -r]. on what had fhev been fed. M'hcn. !m said skim milk, lie was told that, thev wore just- what was, wanted, t -rrnise of the difficulty or securing nv.'V-fcd ’v'es in Great "Britain.

Tho manager stated that nigs sept to - fii 't«lir,'.'.'l he taken off green ’.*-.<st three ww.ks l-e. c ore dis-

patch i-i they were to turn out file• best quality. The . report and balance-sheet were adopted. DIRECTORS RE-ELECTED. Tho retiring directors, Ale-s-si's B. L. Eongstaff and J. B. Alabin, were i*ecx‘-. fed unopposed. “It. would be injudicious; and unwise tj- grade pigs un-css all buyers did it," said Mr Alerto-n in rcp/)y to a lat#r question upon this subject. There would' lie too much di-svsa.tis fact ion for this to b‘l done bv one company, ho added. A vole of thanks was accorded to ‘’’c- oil-airmail and directors for t heir cvi’cL'lcnl work. . . Appreciative, reference to the efficiency of the staff' under the guidance of tin'.' malinger (Mr J. Allan) wa.s miado by tho chairman.