CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9303, 9 March 1907, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE CO-OPERATIVE DAIRY CO CRISIS.

(To $he Editor)

Sir, — The most forcible of ali arguments for a dual plant is experience. Those who have givten it a fair trial are perfectly satisfied — "above satisfied,' as one ir-an expressed it to me. Tie Taoeri and Peninsula' is probably the best paying dairy company in New Zealand; they have a dual plant. Kaupokonui and Riverdale are doing well with, dual plants, and would scout with amused contempt any suggestion "of " altering the system. This is in striking contrast to the present manifest unrest of the single-plant butter companies.

On an average Rtverdale has been thousands of pounds a year better than the* Elihaan company. It is easy to juggle figures and make the result seem different, but when the matter is looked carefully into the juggler can be exposed. For instance, BftverdaJe has always paid a dividend on paid-up capital — in one yea<r 8 per' cent., and never less "than 6 per cent. •This would mean an outlay of from J3700 to £800 a year for the Eltham Company to have done so, which would amount to about £4500 in six years, but this has been carefully suppressed in the comparison which has been made and set before the public. Again, Rfiverdale has a complete cheese-making plant as well as a butter .pliant ; both have been completely paid for. And the point is this, they have been paid for, for the most part, out of each year's profits, Riverdale setting aside a much larger sum for depreciation each year than FJtham. This cheese-making plant | an item of £1000 in favor of RiverdaV-, I which has nilso been suppressed. Agaa , | Riverdale exacts much, teas in calls 1 1 shares than Eltham — one share for ever t 1501bs butter-fat as againra one share f< •■ every 1081bs butter-fat supplied. TMs alfc i has been kept out of sight, and means that, .is compared with Riverdale, the Eltham people haye 1 had to puf their hands in their pockets and pay out £8943 more in share calls. Further, Riverdale is_dear of debt, but at the last annual meeting, keeping out of account the new site. Elth&m was still more than £1000 in debt. But that is, of course, too small a sum for such §. wealthy , company to take account of in any proposed economy. A larger item is the present year's working, which is* carefully kept out of account in the six years* comparison between Eltham and Riverdiale, but the results of which are a foregone conclusion in favor of Riverdalo of at least, say, 2£ per lb of butter-fat. As supplied- to me by the secretary, Eltham's estimated butter-fat this year is 1,582.2591b5 ; this means a further less to Eltharr* of in round numbers £16,500. I might add up all these items, but there is a lot more to follow, only it > would make thns letter too long to at present analyse the probably inadvOTtently misleading figures that have been published. • The Riverdale people know quite well the facts I have quoted; thiey do not care to blow their own horn, but have been quietly laughing up their sleeve at the comparison lately published. "Seven years ago at the annual shareholders' meeting in Eltham I advocated a dual plant. I was returned as a director at that meeting, and on the Board of Directors T strongly agitated in thfl same direction lam to-day only echoing f >he sentiments I uttered tfcen. I could see, what I think is mose reasonable and apparent, that there were years when butter was high arid cheese low and vire versa. — I am, etc., ' J. URE MURRAY.

The following are the names and addresses of the vrinners of prizes in Mr W. Andrews' art union : — First prize. Miss B. McLean. Kawera; 2nd. Mr M. G. Wallis, Casllecliff ; 3rd. Mr F. Moore. Kai Iwi ; 4th. Miss Edwards, Nelson ; sth.

1 Mr John Duthie, Wellington; 6th Mrs Or- •! beJi, Inglirwwkl • 7th."M*'.ss Do Rung s*,5 *, j Wftiigrumi ; Bth, Miss "M. Flaiiagsr Car- ' ; terton; 9th, Mis? C A. WioradC Eltham ; 10th, Mr G. D McGregor, Wanganui ; 11th. Mrs Lomax; Wanganui ; 12th. Mr ' G. J. Bowern. Palmerston North. | Edmund . Frederick Fraei, who was on Friday remanded on a charge of stealing three tins of preserved fruit (valued at 3s tach) -from Mr Edgar Ohivers' store at Okauiwa, was again brought before Mi Turnbull, S.M.. fhis morning, and pleaded The police said that the fruit was in a case under the store verandah, accused breaking open the case and talttng thh three ims away. One tin had haen opened but the <,ther two were returnable. Ho boce a good character, and His employer was willing to take him back. Accused was ordered to come up fo rsentenoe when called upon, and also to pay by Monday £1 lls 6d — £1 Qs 6d (expenses incurred by the police) • and 2s (value of the tin of fruit opened). A Sydney papti t cord" the death by a gun accident of Norman, eldest- son of Rev J. W. Chapman, who for some time. i was in ohartp of, th* Anglican Church, • Waimaite Plains. Many have trstificd Kheumo ha» permanently ( nr-pri trrm from rheumatism, etc., afW all orh°T remrdirs had failed. All crumists and store-. 2s 6d a.nd 4s 6d.