THE CO-OPFRATTVE FRUITGROWERS OF OTAGO LTD

Mt Benger Mail, 3 September 1941, Page 3

THE CO-OPFRATTVE FRUITGROWERS OF OTAGO LTD

MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS Business and Property Sold to Messrs Lovell Bates Ltd.

A special general meeting of the Co-Operative Fruitgrowers of Otago Ltd., was held in the town hall, Roxburgh, on Thursday August 28, Mr John Bennetts in Hie chair. There was a good attendance of shareholders. Mr Bennetts explained the purpose of the meeting and read the following special resolution:— (1) That the agreement dated Ist day of August, 1941, entered

into by the Committee of Man-

agement for the sale of the business, .''Poperhy and furniture stock and plant of the

Society be and the same is hereby confirmed. 12) That the Society be wound up voluntarily.

Mr Binder stated in moving the motion that he was very sorry that the business is to go out. All of the apricots grown in the Dominion were grown in the valley and it was to be deplored that the growers could not| combine. We jtried hard enough but we failed. It has been an uphill fight right from the start. The combination of retailers .only bought from us when they could get a good thing fairly cheap. The retailers made up their mind to taboo us over the ease question. We haj some heavy bad debts and we were unfortunate in the leasing of oiu- premises. We had to sell for what we could get tin Government valuation being £22,000 and the selling price £16,700. Our fine building opposite the Dunedin Bost Office has to go and it is a great pity that the grow- ■ ers lost confidence in the Society. Mr Binder then moved the confirmation of the agreement entered into by the Committee with Messrs Lovell Bates. Mr Kenworthy seconding the motion. A copy of the agreement was then read and also the statement of assets and liabilities.,

Mr Finder briefly outlined the benefit the growers had received from the Society, Jiotably payment of the case charge and sales to the public. He was sure that there would be a glut of fruit on the market since the mtblie would not be admitted to the rooms and thousands of cases would be wasted. The chairman stated that the Society was 'boycotted by the retailers because they sold to the public. Up to 3,000 cases of fruit were received on a morning and the retailers had first option over the fruit. They only bought a limited quantity of fruit which they could sell and the balance had to be sold direct to the public. The retailers had approached the Society to sec whether they would cut out the sales to the public. We told them that we had-always tried to work amicably and put all the fruit through their hands. He had received no reply to a pronosal that the retailers should purchase all the fruit at a price which would show a reasonable return to the grower. The retailers have no nrovision or the machinery to sell fruit in quantity. Fifty per cent of the Society’s sales had been to the public.

Mr Manuel also expressed regret at the closing down of the Co-Op. With the Co-Op. out of business we will drop -back to the same procedure as 40 years ago of selling through the broker and accepting his price. He would like to pay a tribute to the directors of the Society for the fight they have put -u(p to keep the Society in operation and they deserve thanks for the good work they have done. It was moved by Mr W. Kenworthy and seconded by Mr W. Manuel that the Society be wound up voluntarily. Carried unanimously. Mr John Bennetts was appointed liquidator.