DAIRY CONFERENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LI, Issue 9101, 25 May 1906, Page 8

DAIRY CONFERENCE.

The conference of delegates to thY initial meeting of delegates to the Taranakii Dairy Association was continued on Wednesday afternoon. On resuming after the luncheon adjournment the discussion on independent testing was continued. Mr Marx replied at some length. He had not heard) anything to cause him to alter his opinion. There was no possibility

of getting uniformity, andi it was useless s and expensive to set up a new office. They a had to trust to the honesty to their employees at some point, and if they had to. employ men to watch them they would l have to shut up. ,He thought confidence * could be placed in the integrity of factory managers, and he strongly advocated the j retention of the present system. .} The motion was carried. ' { The question of uniformity of wages was 1 then discussed.. . . Mr Marx said the question was a dif- * ficult one to deal with, as every company ' had different conditions to face. The j question was a large one, and if they wen* ' , into it at all they would have to do so i thoroughly. " 1 ' Mr Mellow said they' could hardly go } into the matter, as so few companies were \ * represented. He moved that information I ; be obtained from other companies as to ; wages paid, such information to be laid j before a subsequent meeting. The question was seconded by Mr McDonald. Mr Brown saidi there would be no use their getting information, if it was a fact that a union was being formed by the men. ; . They would get all the information necessary, and it would 'be "for the Association to resist any undue demands. He sym- ' pathised with the men who were in many cases pat off in the winter. " His company had endeavored to assist the men by giving them employment during the winter months. ' ' Th» Chairman said the forming of a Union would, not affect them so far asobtaining information was concerned. The motion was carried. The matter of saliless butter was then considered.. Mr Templer read a resolution passed* by his directors for discussion at the PalmeTston conference, urging the Government to co-operate with the British GoV ernment to prevent the manufaotare of adulterated butter and that until such action is taken, no interference be allowed with the export of saltless 'iburtter. moved the resolution for the Association •to .deal with. Mr Marx seconded the resolution. The matter must be attended to at the other end. Saltless butter must be of the very best, and its export should not be topped. The Chairman said they would be meet ing shortly at Palmeiston, and he would suggest that, a mass meeting be called these .to discuss the question. They represented only a small section of the industry, and they wanted to be unanimous on this subject. Be though* % should have a -meeting of their, own at Palmerison, apart from the Dairy ' Association altogether. ' The resolution was carried. Mr Marx then moved, That this meet ing recommends that a meeting of delegates be held at Palmenaton North during show week to consider joint action in the question of the, export of saltless butter and other important matters affecting the industry that may be brought up; such meeting to be a preliminary to the Na tional Dairy Association's proposals. He said that on a previous occasion such a meeting had valuable results-. The great ' trouble with the Department was that it went head first for a thing iand counted tbe cost afterwards, especially when it Tvas other people's cost. They waofced to be consulted before the Government did anytting. Mr Hodgkinson seconded the motion. Mr Brown said they did not want it to appear tihafc they were trying to override the National Dairy Association. That idea might be taken from the resolution. Mr Marx said if they were afraid to call a meeting of their own they should shut down. Something like that proposed was necessary if they were going tc do any good. Mr Brown said it seemed to him tho resolution might convey a wrong impnes sion. He did not wish to press *he point. Mr Batey said saltless butter was very profitable. If they always went in for it they would save considerably in salt, and could run the factory with two or throe hands less. The Chairman said it would be advis-' able if ■&&> managers could be a* the meeting to give information as to the saving He understood there was a saving in unsalted butter. The resolution was then put and carried, and the Chairman was empowered to take the necessary steps for arranging the time of the meeting. Speaking on the question of preaerva'ives, Mr Clayton said he hoped before long they would be able to do without rreservatives It was more a matter for an experimental dairy school ; it was too great a responsibility for factory managers to do without preservatives. Mr Batey said that in reference to preservatives the Dairy Commissioner asked factory managers for their opinion regarding the ÜB9 of preservativesi three years ago. Then most managers advocated the use of preservatives. At thfe next con ference he understood Mr Kinsella would advocate that the use of preservative* be discontinued. As a manager he would not like to undertake- the responsibility of doing without preservatives, without more information. In spring ho thought preservatives were necessary. Mr Brown saH some years ago his company sent Home a small consignment of butter free from preservatives, and had not heard any unfavorable report of it. If it had arrived in bad condition they would have, heard of it. Mr Ross said he- sent a successful shipment of unpreservd butter Home Th© Chairman brought up the queeflon of the use of the milking machine. If it could be brought into general use it would J w?i*n a large saving of labor. Mr Ridd said he had been usin» ma chines for nearly four years. The first j one was not a success. He got another one and made another start. He had been 1 using it ever Since with very good results The milking machine was now almost perfection, and it was a tremendous saver of labor. The thing was to get people to

have confidence in the machine. Hi-; cows I were milked better by machine than by — hand. He was fully satisfied that the ma- j ch : ne he was using vras thoroughly Teli- I able, and reduced the cost by half He noticed no ill effects in the cows from the use of the machine. Mr Marx said it was not certain that they could aIJ make a succes^ of the ma- -i chine as Mr Ridd had done. The evolution of the milking machine was being ' - carefully watched, and once its reliability | a was proved thefts would be fewer cows milked by hand. In answer to the Chairman, Mr Ridd said he did not find it necessary to strip after the machine. In answer to Mr Brown, Mr Ridd said he advocated water power for driving the machine where possible Mr Templer moved, "That in view of L tihe many anomalies in the working of the companies and the requirements, of the Companies - Act, 1903. it is desirable to •have a Dairy Companies Act passed, or amendments to the Companies Act, and that the resolution ee> forwarded to the National Dairy Association.' Secretaries of dairy companies wen© responsible for a great many tftiings that many of them did not know of. He thought the best thing to do would be to set, up a committee, to go into the question and obtain information. ' The Chairman seconded t!he motion. , Mr Marx said some yeare ago he was 'on a deputation to the Premier when a y j Dairy Companies Act was asked for. He " 1 ' promised that if a BUI was drawn up to ( , suit dairymen it would be put through. It ! would be for a large meeting to appoint , men to draft a Bill, and he. was sure it. wonld go through. The Chairman said it was all very well ' ( for the" Premier to promise that a Bill ( would go through the House, but the dairy ' I people would ha\e to pay for it. It was '.' the duty of Che Government to collect eyi- • dence and put the Bill through at the i country's expense. • '• The motion was carried. r , ' Mr Templer moved : "That an attempt •be made "by £be companies here represented to secure co-operation' in marketing pro- *• -duce." They all knew a great deal had f . been said; as' to ,hpw were going to improve the new system of ' marketkiij. In i talking it' over with other- people another 3 . aspect 'of the question presented itself to -him. -There were two factories in New • -Zealand whidh got bigger prices than any %ther. "They were the New Zealand Dairy 1 Association and the Taieri and Peninsula. He' had 'wondered why this was so. It I' was because they- were able to put a larger - 'they had'inot.- It was explained -that it .. was because they were able t put a larger : amount' of 'butter on the market .ihder ", the one brand.. . How were they to get over .that: difficulty?- He saw no reason why k .they should" not pool their butter,; and ship i under a common brand. He did not see c .why the proposals should not apply equally a 'to. cheese; ,They would probably get pro- . duce handled at a lower cost, and get a c higher- price. There was nothing^ to be . .'gained by jealousy between companies, and r then© was nothing to prevent a group of y factories joining and sending together under one brand. > The resolution was seconded pro forma d by Mr Mellow. He was in sympathy with d it, but he did riot think it was practicable y- just yet. l- Mr McDonald said the only pract 'cable is way of dealing with the question was- for d all companies to amalgamate under the one r- head.' The Taieri and Peninsula Company n was an amalgamation. Mr Templer said he did not desire to ppeati the matter to a division, and having fc had the resolution discussed he would i- ask permission to withdraw it. g Mr Templer moved, "That with a view c to reduction in cost, the National Daily , x Association be Tecommended to, call tenders ' « for accident insurance." He had noticed , h recently that a body in the North had cal- j i led tenders for insurance, and got a sub- & stantial reduction in rates. ; a The motion, was secondied by Mr Me-* it Donald and carried after some discussion, i it Mr Marx .Brought up the question of mr d terest on share capital. j £ ; Some discussion ensued, no resolution c being carried. ' \ t- The Chairman axi& Mr Perm were ap-j pointed a committee to bring the formation' of the Association under notice of all the o companies in Tara.naki,* inviting thepi to , c iall in with the movement. f I a The meeting then* adjourned. — Stratford) i