MAUNGATAPERE.

Northern Advocate, 20 July 1917, Page 2

MAUNGATAPERE.

•DAIRY COMPANY'S ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of shareholders of the Maungatapere Dairy Company was held on Tuesday, July 17. Proceedings started about 10 o'clock when Mr J. H. Hayward (chairman) and his board of directors, (including Messrs J. X Franks, T. Dinnell, F, Watson, C. Morrison, F. Smith and It. Dent) took their seats of office. Mr Jas. Fraser (manager of store) was also present.

The chairman's report was then given which read as follows: —"Your directors have pleasure in submitting to you their tenth annual report and balance-sheet; Taking a view of the past season, tlie suppliers commenced sending cream to the factory about two months earlier than in previous years. The output, tip to the month of February showed an increase over the corresponding period of last. year. There was every prospect of this season being a record one, but as you are aware the floods caused a great amount of damage, consequently the supply fell very rapidly. Your directors propose a dividend of 5 per cent, on paid-up capital, amounting approximately to £1767, also a progress payment of 3d per pound on butter-fat supplied by shareholders during the months December to May (inclusive) absorbing £i 3200. Mr Paugler has again been engaged as factory manager for the coming season."

The chairman then to give a short review of the past year's work stating that they had hoped at the last meeting to have seen the war brought td a sue'efissfui issue ere' this, but as things are he sincerely hoped that it would not be necessary to hold another annual meeting under war conditions. "The past year," he stated, "has been in many ways a rough one. At times we liave not known where we stood as far as shipping was concerned, and the news that seventeen ships are available for August and September has come as a relief to all, especially to the directors." Mr Hayward then gave a short account of the business transaet§d at tlie annual conference, dwelling upon the subject of white pine scarcity. They were faced with the alarming fact that only seven years' supply is left. Suggested ways and means of overcoming the difficulty were placed before the meeting.

The speaker drew the shareholders' attention to the fact that they have in the past been burdened with excessive freights on butter sent from Whangarei to Auckland. He stated that where other articles had been charged from 10 per cent, to 25 per cent, increase through war expenses, butter had fteen charged 50 per cent, extra. This difficulty had, he thought, been to a certain extent rectified for the future.

The question of extending the factory building and plant was then fully discussed. The advice of the Government' dairy instructor (Mr A. M. Valantine) was sought and this gentleman, being present, said that in his opinion the innovation was an absolute necessity and should have been done long ago. He showed clearly that better results could be obtained , at less expenditure through having necessary conveniences. "In fact,' he said, "by making use of mechanical appliances much of the factory work could easily be done by female labour." He further stated that as the dairying business required as much training as any other business it was necessary, to induce a better class of assistant to enter the trade and the best way to acquire this end was to equip each factory with everything as upjto-date as possible. He also showed that it wfls only the leniency of the Department from a sanitary standpoint that had permitted .the thing to go on so long. An objection, of a humorous nature, was at this juncture made by a wellknown character, Mr Roland Hill, who took exception to the concluding remark of the previous speaker, alleging that the statement contained a veiled Government threat. "For," he continued, "you must remember that as one half of the community is ready to hang Massey and the other Ward you must not be too ready with your threats to us." (Much laughter.) Mr Paugler here addressed the meeting, saying that he endorsed the remarks made by Mr Valantine and was certain he could work better in the interests of both suppliers and staff if the alterations were made.

Mr R. Hill 'proposed, and Mr T. Crawford seconded, that the whole thing be left to the discretion of the directors.—Carried.

Three applications for the position of auditor to the company were muds by the following:—Mr Geo. Esther and Mr W. Parker (of Whangarei) inti Mr A. .n. pike, of Auckland. The last-named was duly elected at a remuneration of £15 15s per annum.

As two directors—Messrs Smith and Morrison—were due to retire, it was necessary to elect two members to fill the vacancies. Nominations were received as follows:—Messrs Smith, Morrison, G. Hargreaves and W. Sirl. The two first-named members .vero re, elected by a vast majority. Messrs \V. Fraser and W. Carter acted as scrutineers. Before concluding the chairman read a letter from Mr Geo. Esther, auditor for the past year, in which was contained the following:—"I should like to report on the satisfactory manner in which your secretary, Mr Mark, ham, has kept your financial and statistical books. I understand that immediately previous to his appointment you had several changes in quick succession in your secretaryship so that, as I reported to the directors on the completion of my first audit, Mr Markham commenced his work under very unsatisfactory conditions. The result he now produces is a very creditable piece of up-to-date accountancy. A hearty vote of appreciation was then accorded Mr .Markham.