CO-OPERATIVE CALF POOL

Matamata Record, Volume XX, Issue 2020, 27 March 1939, Page 4

CO-OPERATIVE CALF POOL

MATAMATA-TIRAU Annual Meeting Officials Re-elected The Farmers' Hall was full on Friday when the Matamata-Tirau Calf Pool held its annual meeting. Mr. H. E. Sutherland presided over a lengthy meeting, which finished without incident. Mr. N. W. Hastings, of the Pig Marketing Association, addressed the meeting in explanation of the last year’s working of the pool, which sold its calves through his organisation. Mr. Hastings said that 28 of the 48 pools gazetted by the Government were controlled by the association. Each pool got its credit as a unit in a national organisation. Similarly the cost of running the national organisation was debited back to the individual pools. Every pool received the price of 3.39 d per pound dead weight. The average skin, which was treated, weighed 4} pounds and realised 13d per pound. The offal, consisting of heart, liver, .lungs, etc., brought 1/1 per calf, while the boned meat averaged 4id per pound, and there was an average of 18 pounds of meat to each of the 250,000 calves. Instead of lumping overhead costs in one sum, details had been set out so that members could see just what these costs were. Every other pool cashed out on the live weight. Had the Matamata-Tirau pool done that they could have windowdressed the price by another 8d per calf. They killed in 19 freezing works throughout New Zealand. The speaker then gave figures relating to the Horsham Downs pool to prove that by selling on the live average weight a loss of 8d per calf ensued. His directors urged that this year they accept a minimum of 52 pounds live weight to keep down losses, as every calf which went down the ghute cost the pool 14s. He congratulated the pool on its cartage cost of 9.4 d as it looked at the start of last season that Is 3d would have to be paid. As a result of public indignation meetings, every non-co-operative pool in New Zealandsecured Is 6d a calf increase from August onwards a? a result of the exposures . made. The .speaker’s, organisation paid this price in July. Being freed from income tax, they were thus truly co-operative, and because of this Act governing co-opera-tion they were prevented from tendering. They could no more tender thajt a. dairy company. «ould'- for milk, or cream. ‘ " The report and balance-sheet’were adopted with little discussion. On the motion of Messrs. H. Rollett and J. E. West a vote of thanks to the outgoing committee was carried by acclamation. Committee of Thirteen On the motion of Messrs. J. Bell and J. E. West it was decided that the committee consist of 13 members as last year. The following members were then elected: Messrs. J. Bell, H. Mudford, P. R. Hawke, H. McGahan, H. E. Sutherland, P. Scherer, T. Cotter, P. Darragh, G. Duxfieid, M. E. Gould, W. H. G. Allen, T. Mackin, L. Watkins.

Mr. F. R. Gibson urged that before any outsiders were invited the meeting should decide how they were going to deal with this season's calves. The chairman stated that the committee was elected to manage, the .&f----fairs of the pool,*and any resolution could only be a recommendation. Mr. Gibson then moved that the pool handle its own calves and not put them through an agent. Mr. J. Hill seconded the motion. Mr. P. R. Hawke suggested that the representatives of various firms attending should be allowed to address the meeting. Replying to Mr. Hawke, the chairman said that 75 per centum of signatures must be obtained before a pool could be broken up, and a reason must also be given. Mr. W. McDonald: Last year we were told it was for one year only. Now it appears that we are in for life. f>y The chairman explained that this was due to new regulations being framed by the Government. It was decided to hold Mr. Gibson’s motion over until after the speakers had been heard. Outside Speakers The following speakers then addressed the meeting: Mr. F. H. Anderson (Auckland Farmers' Freezing Co. Ltd.), Mr. A. Miller (Westfield

freezing works), Mr. B. Orr (Wilson’s Meats Ltd.), Mr. N. W. Hastings (Pig Marketing Association). Mr. Anderson advocated that farmers should support their own company, emphasising that every dairy. company held shares in the farmers’ works according to the amount of dairy produce tonnage put through. The only criticism the Farmers’ Freezing Company had got was in regard to it not being a co-operative concern. This arose out of propaganda as a result of the bobby calf trade. In the words of their esteemed Prime Minister, “ It was all bunkum.” Mr. A. Miller (Westfield Freezing Co. Ltd.) stated that he favoured the pool system. If they stipulated tenders, he asked that no one particular works be stated but that it be left ppen. His firm claimed that until his firm came to Waikato Waikato got per pound less for lambs than the rest of New Zealand did. They preferred to kill in their own works as they had a staff of 1300 to keep going through the winter if possible. Any one firm was no good, as competition was the life of trade. Mr. B. Orr (Wilsons Meats Ltd.) urged that his company was eager to compete. All their purchases would be killed through the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company, and they preferred to buy on dead-weight carcase. If given the chance his firm would do the work. All the committee would do would be to call tenders and arrange for the carriers. If stipulated, the buyers would also supervise loading, supply stationery and pay out to the farmers. Mr. N. W. Hastings stated that his company was the only one which issued a co-operative balance-sheet. They had no quarrel with the Farmers’ Freezing Company. One operated at the buying end and the other at the freezing end. There was no competition for the meat, as one man bought 80 per centum of it. The competition "was for the 4s for killing. The speaker’s directors were as cooperative as anyone in the room. A Narrow Vote After all the speakers had left the room Mr. Gibson’s motion was taken. 6n a show of hands the motion was defeated by 15 votes to 13. The chairman explained that it was still open to the committee to sell its own calves if it considered that was the best method. As a subsequent meeting of the committee Mr. H. E. Sutherland was re-elected chairman and Mr. R. H. Rbllett was re-elected secretary.