NORMANBY DAIRY COMPANY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 3 August 1918, Page 5

NORMANBY DAIRY COMPANY.

TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING.

The twenty-fourth annual meetino- of the Normanby Co-op. Dairy Factory Co., Ltd., was held at the"Normanby .Reading Room yesterday, 'Mr C. J. Preston, chairman of directors, presiding over a fair attendance of shareholders. The following report was presented: llie nnal settlement for last season's consigned cheese was made at 123s per cwt, and the surplus therefrom enabled the company to make a. record pay-out of, 2s per lb on 1916-17 butter-fat. 'This year the output was purchased by the lmpenal Government at HJd per ]i> t.0.b., with three months' storage paid by compaines. After writing 7* per cent off buildings. 10 per off plant, and 20 percent off clam and race, providing far; directors' fees, and 4 per cent interest /en shares, the balance remaining will enable us to make the season s pay-out up to Is lOfd. \\e regret the loss on active serviec of Trooper JS. -Riddle, for three Years chairman of this company Mr 4 J nn. ensuing season Ihe following statistics are attached fat, 4p4,929: average test, 3.82; nuni'rVr'qT^Vs7; l)ounds of cheese made (03l tons 7cwt 3qr 241b), 1,190 - 332; pounds ot cheese from lib fat, 2.61: pounds of milk to lib cheese 10.00; cost of manufaetirfo, .84d (inS" gl 32 ld eCiatiOn) -95d; °°st pei lb In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet the chairman said • i have again much pleasure in having ta report a very successful year and although the total pay-out will not be q>nt<? so good as last year reference to the balance-sheet will explain the reaf foii?he °°tP«t of" cheese shows a falling off ot roughly 30 tons, the diy season experienced and a less number ot suppliers accounting for thi« ihe season's output has, as you are all aware, again been taken over by S e I l mP? rial Government/ and although the price paid, 10d per lb, wa» id higher than last season, the increased storage we were.called on to pay will about counterbalance this. Ihe cost of material, compared with last year, shows an increase of £6*B wages are slightly higher, and cartage has gone up £46. The cost of manufacture has increased by .29d due to increased cost of the neeessarv material and the manufacture of a much, dner article but will, still compare *er> favorably with other factories .Reference to the balance-sheet will show that there has been a-lar^e in crease in the freezing charges, "which +wthl/A ear slisfc% more than double that of the previous year. Fuel show* an increase of roughly £100, and your directors have this year deemed it advisable to increase the rate of depreciation. Up to the present time we have been able to pay out Is 7d per lb butter-fat, and a further payment will be made to-day of Id, leaving a balance of 2|d, which will be paid as soon as funds accrue. Your directors have pleasure m announcing that since the balance-sheet was printed they havo received a, rebate on storage 'charges which will enable them to pay out the extra : }d. Since the last annual meeting your directors have thought it advisable to install a tiled whey tank" to take the place of the old tinned steel one, the life of which is only very limited The two cottages have been completed, and are occupied by married employees, and the purchase of the shed at the railway station hjfe also been completed, and is now used as a. storeroom. Your directors must again draw the attention of suppliers to the excessive use of turnips, which has a very detrimental effect on outproduce, and they feel that under the circumstances they must congratulate the manager on the very satisfactory results obtained, taking this and the class of labor available into consideration. You are all no doubt aware that since we last met a most important question to the dairy industry has been thought upon, namely, dried milk and sugar of milk. Several meetings have been held, and a committee set up to obtain the available information in the .Dominion, and if necessary abroad, and this meeting will be asked to pass a resolution agreeing to pay pro rata towards any expenses that may be incurred. It is with deep regret that we have to record the death from wounds received in France, whilst serving his King .and country, of Private Jasper Samuel Eiddle, who was for a number ot years a member of your directorate and chairman for three years, and a resolution conveying the company's sympathy was immediately forwarded to his relatives. I have to thank mv fellow-directors and also the shareholders and staff for their able assistance during the past year. Discussing the report and balancesheet, Mr F. J. Gane referred to the chairman s remarks on the excessive use of turnips. This outcry was a- sound one, and applied not only to Normanby biit to other factories, and the suppliers who used turnips to any but a very limited extent, was simply robbing every other supplier, because he was a considerable factor in deteriorating tho factory's whole output. Altlifeh. the Government had Durchasdl " their' output, it must be remembered that there was a second grade, and this represented a difference of a farthmg per pound. This practice, if unchecked, simply meant lowering the •standard of New Zealand produce in the Old Country below what it should be, and it Avas up to them, on© and all to endeavor to make a first-class article! If the manager did not get a first-class material to star ton, it was not possible for him to produce a first-class finished article, nor was it possible for him to work out any pronounced turnip flavor. If the odour of turnips was in any way pronounced the manager should' setnd that particular supplier's milk back. With regard to dried milk and sugar "ol: milk, although it was possible that these might develop into important industries later or., he held the view that dairy companies should stick to eheeso as an act of loyalty i 0 our soldiers and tho people in the Old Country. The directors, in hi'- opinion, did" a wise thing in purchasing th e store at tho ! railway station. If tho Government had j not passed regulntions providing for a ! certain tempera tare in r-heose stores th~J company might havp been able to stoiv. j a quantity of im chc-r ;<■ tht'i-p, but Fit ! any cas ( > the land and store wc-r ( . worth j tho. money. I Mr Spratt remarked that they must j have had a poor lot of veils this last j season, ns apparently only tl3 odd had ; beon paid for thorn. j The secretary explained that this sum ; represented tho. c-mipruiv's lo:-.< in veils? j Mr Laurent Msk<>:; if it was a fart j that the ronnor mp.de by the rennet .; company at Patoa was not fit to use? i Tf this was the case- why co on buvir-'- ------| veils? - - - .. -~ i Tho chairman ropier] that the rouun. ! mado fit Pa-'r.;-, \ V o t - no t satisfactory. ? TT ■ "loliovrd that Mr Cooper, of Mani/a-------t/>ki. w:if goiiw t--, conduct' tho opeTations this, yonr, and h^ trnsiocl rhat tlhv rennet v, onld i.h>^-. b.-. sfiti^factorv ' A Shnv-hoWf.r; o-.v < iV :v. vinuasov h:» s mad.:> rmiipt, ;uul "; wns Tho Manager: T ]-v ; . s; ( >>l ri"ht fr'i-in ■ ''m start tl-ar no n,:;', in .V l .w"'Zo:i!a'!-:d hiiows anything nl.uiit ir-nnot manuffr-

tui:e. We rend that professors are in charge at Home and on the Continent, and although I have made rennet, and • made cheese from it that has passed first grade, I would not guarantee anything in connection with it. Mr Clement: I understand that when the veils have been kept longer that they are better. The Manager: I think veils should he 12 months old before used. The chairman remarked that in regard to the Kennet Co., although the article so far manufactured had not been satisfactory, the existence of the company had been a benefit to the dairying industry. Had there been no Rennet Co. the probability was that dairy companies would have had to pay a higher price for their rennet sup-^ plies. Mr Gibson: The Rennet Co. has not spent any capital. The chairman: They, have gone along very slowly. / -; ' Mr Laurent understood that the Hawera Co. made^its, own rennet week by week, and it. had been "found satisfactory. f The Manager believed that that was so, but the manager there was in the same position as he (the speaker). He was making a satisfactory rennet, but he probably would not be prepared to guarantee anything. In comparison with the price of Home-made, rennet the price the company paid for veils did not make experimenting a very profitable proposition. He (Mr Hopcroft) used from 8 to 10 veils to make a gallon of rennet, and the Patea man, who visited the Normanby factory, went away #ith the impression that he would use up to 12 velJs to the gallon, and that would make it very expensive. Imported rennet had been up as high as £25 per keg of 10 gallons c.i.f. Wellington, but the Normanby Company had purchased a good deal "at £21 10s. Mr Gibson asked what they intended to do during the coming season. Were the veils to be sent Home or to Patea? The secretary said that they were awaiting instructions. Mr Spratt contended that they must keep Patea going in the meantime, but after the war they would have no hope of competing with the Home prices, evefc with veils at 3d each. So long, however, as Patea could turn out a fair article, and so keep a check on the price of the imported article, that was all they should bother about. The chairman then read the following letter received from the West Coast Refrigerating Company: "Herewith please find cheque in payment of interest on paid-up capital to "June 30, 1917; also a credit note for £527 11s 9d, being a refund on storage charges. It has been decided by the directors that the basis of charge for this year will be four 'weeks instead of twelve weeks, the company only debiting for four weeks, holding the 'cheese free of cost for the remaining eight weeks. This course is being taken for this year only, and will amount to a considerable concession. The usual rate for three months amounts to 32s per ton, or .171 of a penny per lb. The month's charge will amount to 12s per ton, or .034 of a penny per lb. The Government under their contract will eventually refund all charges paid in excess of the first three months at 2s 6d per week, but it is difficult to say when this refund will be paid." The chairman said that this refund would enable the company to pay out Is lOfd for the season. The motion for the adoption of the report and balance-sheet was then put and carried. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS. The three retiring directors —Messrs Crocker, Gibson and Preston—were re- i elected unopposed. AUDITOR. !

Mr 11. A. Lennon was re-elected auditor.

CRIED MILK COMMITTEE. The meeting unanimously decided to pay its quota, pro rata with, its output, of any expenses to be incurred, by the special committee appointed at the recent conference to fully investigate the questions of dried milk and sugar of milk. Tlie chairman was elected to represent the Xormanby company at any future conferences to be called to further consider these questions. AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.

The question as to whether the company should continue its contribution amounting, roughly to £26 a year, to the laranaki Education Board to secure a continuance of the services of the Board's agricultural instructor, was considered.

In a general discussion it was pointed out that at the lectures called, both at the hall and on the various farms, the attendances had been very poor, and under these eireumstances it hardly seemed worth while continuing. Several speakers held the opinion that Mr Browne's scientific knowledge and practical demonstrations had been most beneficial to a number, and would be of great value to th d district generally if tanners availed themselves of the'opportunities offered, but apparently the majority were either too busy or too indifferent to do so, and under those circumstances it was simrrty wasting money to continue the subscription. Mr W. G. Gan c thought that the company might arrange to i-ay a lesser subscription rather than let aie thirg drop altogether. He was anxious to see this agricultur.il instruction keot going; the more the land could be made to produce the easier it would be to meet taxation, and if only for the benefit of the new-comer h o would like to see the system kept going. Upon a vote being taken it was decided not to continue the subscription to the Education Board, and a vote of appreciation was passed to Mr R. A. S. Browne for the good work he did last -year.

PRICE OF YELLS. Mr Spratt moved that the prig© ot veils for the coining aenson be 5s for first grade, 2s 6d for second grade, and 6d for third grade. "Mr Were contended that there should be only one price right through all the factories.

In reply to r. question, tho manager said that the Rennet company recognised three grade;; of veils and had paid on those grades. The Pa tea company graded the veils and returned the grade notes, and the samp thing was done when they sont them to Wellington. All he (the speaker) know was that the Rennet Company was prepared to pay for three grades at Is Gd, Is, and 6d.

He had graded the veils before sending them to Patea, and found that there was only a slight difference in the placing of one or two, and in the case of Wellington there was practically no difference. He might mention that in the first place the Rennet Company sent the veils to England, and before that the Dai^y Division sent them, and the report they received from the manufacturers there was that the New Zealand j veils were ideal for rennet making. \ The resolution was carried. i PASTEURISATION.

Mr Laurent referred to the question of pasteurisers, and asked whether that system, if adopted, would not eliminate a good deal of the flavor complained of. The manager replied that it would to a certain extent. But the matter rested entirely with shareholders, and it was only a question of cost; and not only the cost of installation, but the additional running expense. He could not quote definitely the cost of installing two machines, because of market fluctuations, but approximately it would cost £1000, if the company did not have to provide additional building to accommodate them. They would require two pasteurisers to'deal with the whole of their milk supply, and their present building would not accommodate two machines. They all knjy^ that pasteurisation did eliminate flavor to a certain point, but they were told that it did not affect the quality of the cheese, and they would get no more for cheese made from pasteurised milk than for that made from non-pasteur-ised milk. The only consideration would be the quantity that might be affected as between first and second grades. Mr Were suggested that it could easily ascertained if the quantity of second-grade cheese would warrant the •installation of pasteurisers. Mr Gane considered that if they installed pasteurisers they would get more second-grade cheese than now, because farmers would then reckon that any old thing would do.

TURNIP-FEEDING. In reply to a question, the chairman ■said that it was not the intention of the directors to turn down turnipfeeding. His own personal experience was that turnips were not -necessary, and he mentioned that in the case of his own two farms the one that had no turnips on it produced 25lbs butterfat per cow more than the other. On 36 acres he produced 64001hs ,of fat . without turnips, and he claimed that if farmers applied more top-dressing to their pastures they would get better results than by growing turnips. Mr Were contended that turnips were necessary in dry weather, such as they had experienced this la«t season or two, or they would not get the output. He had 20001bs butter-fat less than he had three years ago, when he fed turnips. The manager said that it was when cows were left on the turnips that trouble resulted. Many of "the suppliers to the Normanby factory fed turnips udiciously without any bad results, but others again fed excessively. Mr Laurent was of the opinion that if farmers fed turnips immediately after milking, and gave their cows a sufficiency of other food also, there would be little or no trouble, and there would then be time for the flavor to leave the milk. But if cows were fed on turnips only, obviously the milk must be flavored.

GENERAL. The directors' remuneration was fixed the same as last year, and the chairman was granted an honorarium of £52. It was also decided to pay 4 per cent, interest on share capital. At a subsequent meeting of directors Mr C. J. Preston was re-elected chairmail for the ensuing year.