UNITED DAIRY COY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 227, 23 August 1940, Page 10

UNITED DAIRY COY.

SUPPLIERS’ MEETING. The 27th annual general meeting of the United Dairy .Company was held in the Oddfellows’ Hall. Woodville, yesterday afternoon. the chairman (Mr Edgar J. Harding) presiding. There was an attendanco of 16 shareholders and suppliers. In presenting the report and balancesheet. the chairman said a survey of the operations of the past year showed it had on tho whole been a very successful one. “Tho conditions of the year for dairying operations have been more or less very disappointing,” he added. “Contrary to the previous year, the spring was against good dairy operations in that we had several falls of snow, which is unusual for this district, and cows coming into profit had a very bad time. The summer and autumn between them, however, made up for a bad spring, though . the output showed a loss of 25 tons of butter, which was accounted for by suppliers changing from butter to cheese and several suppliers going out . of dairying altogether and devoting their farming to sheep. Farming this season may be regarded as fairly satisfactory. I referred last year to the conference between the Government and the Dairy Conference representatives regarding a more just treatment of costs and a further payment on produce. this came to no good. After very careful management this year, the cost of butterfat to f.o.b. shows a slight decrease from 2.480 d last year to 2.258 d which must be regarded as very satisfactory. In connection with our local marketing of butter, the position is still very satisfactory; about three-fifths of our make is still sold in New Zealand, which reflects great credit on our products; also tho treatment extended to our clients. The farm dairy instruction is still being carried out vyilhout any friction of any sort; which reflects highly on Mr Rankin, the officer in charge of this department The by-products on the home separated farm are still a very important factor in the revenue derived from the farm of the progressive dairyman. Some of our suppliers this year estimate their net. returns at 4Jd per lb. butterfat. Just how much that will he affected by suppliers who arc forcibly compelled by

tho enactment of the Dairy Division to change from butter to cheese remains to bo seen. The first, year of the operations of the calf pools has been a financial success for the iarmors and we are in the midst of the second year of pool operations. ’the directors have again had a diviner to seek tor wator and we havo sunk a well at the factory; after going down 40ft. wo had to übandon sinking as there was too much water to go further. During tho year Air Swede expressed his desire to he relieved of his duties as manager of this company, and this was agreed to, but lie agreed to remain till tho end of the season as a supervisor, and the directors have pleasure ill announcing tho appointment of Air E. Hutchinson, our first assistant, who, wo have every confidence, will prove a worthy successor to our long list of successful factory managers. To Air Swede wo tender our great thanks in the loyal service he has given tho compuny. To the staff of the factory I wish to tender our llinnks for tile worn, and to Mr Simpson and Aliss Coleman our very great thanks for their work it. tho office, also to our lorry drivers and to the great array of satisfied traders, and tho woition in tho hundreds of homes who still prefer our butter and help to make the suppliers of the United Dairy Company the satisfied suppliers they are. I cannot finish this repon without paying tribui* arid expressing our loyally and patriotism to the British notion and all it stands for at lids time of stress. We give thanks to all those great units who go to protest our shores and lines of communication —our merchant navy in the peril of, the seas, in getting our produce Home, and at the present monient our Air Force, the Navy and the Army, and not forgetting the members of the Government inside the framework of the British Commonwealth of Nations.” In addition, the chairman stated that the whole of tho unexported produce had been marketed in Hawke’s Bay by the Producers’ Alarketing Association in which the company hold £620 worth of paid-up shares, which wero paid oil by way of rebates, The marketing therefore was almost without cost to tho company. Tho finances of tho Unitod Company were in a sound condition, enabling the payment of bonuses to be mado without rccourso to tho bank. Suppliers were concerned by increasing costs, tho latest, impost being tho recent wages riso of 5 per cent. Tho Government was being pressed to meet fanners in this matter. In regard to the demand for greater production, it behoved every farmer to do his best, and he had no doubt this could he done.

The report and balance-sheet were adopted unanimously without discussion afto'tho chairman had extended several matters dealt with in the report. There being no further nominations, the retiring dircc tors, Messrs Curry and East, were unanimously re-elocted, and Air N. Webley was re-elected auditor. TURNING TO CHEESE.

Tho chairman reportod on conferences with departmental representatives regard ing the problem of producing cheese instead cf butter. He had pointed out that this could not bo done without financial sacrifice by individual suppliers. The production of cheese would not only raise overhead costs, but suppliers would he required to face the cost of building alterations, cans and transport. The question was one of who would pay for tlm charge. Tho sacrifice should come from the Consolidated Fund or the Dairy Board’s accumulated funds.

Air H. Conlin staled that a auestion asked at several mootings was whether tho British Government had definitely called for an increase of cheese production. If so, why had not tho request been made to Canada instead of to the furthest Dominion? After some further discussion, during which reference .was -made to the diversion of Scandinavian and Low Countries’ butter to Germany the replacement of this loss by margarine was mentioned. The chairman stated he could not clear up the points raised. Tho mooting concluded with a vote of thanks to the chairman and the factory manager.