Co-operative Bobby Calf Pool

Northern Advocate, 2 June 1939, Page 3

Co-operative Bobby Calf Pool

interviewed by a representative of the "Northern Advocate" regarding the effect on his company's operations of the Waikato and Auckland. Calf Pool Federations, Mr W. A. Phillips, chairman of directors of the Now Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association, stated that while these local federations had annexed further pools, several had also been added to those administrated by his company, and although as a result of these changes a reduction in the number of free or independently directed pools was indicated, the volume of calves which are available for disposal through his organisation was very satisfactory and likely to be even greater than last year.

“Our company,” said Mr Phillips, “has welcomed and fostered the advent of pools, since only by the application of this principle had it been possible to pursue our activities on cooperative methods.” Questioned on the extent and scope of his company's operations in the calf business last season, Mr Phillips said that in keeping with their national cooperative operations and objectives in the pig industry, their activities in the bobby calf trade had also spread to include every district in New Zealand with the exception of Wairarapa and Southland, in which areas calf pools had been in operation for some years past.

“Altogether,” continued Mr Phillips, “our company collected and marketed over 237.000 bobby calves during last season. This total included the prodouct of 28 pools, all of which were associated in our national co-operative scheme, and in which connection it is significant to note that with the two exceptions already mentioned all pools operating • outside the Auckland Province were attached to it.”

Regarding the duplication of his company’s co-operative services and competitive elements represented by the activities of the federations in question, Mr Phillips was not prepared to comment beyond mentioning that the history of the dairy industry offered a parallel, in which time and experience had worked out its own solution.

“This method has in the past proved costly,” added Mr Phillips, “but there appears to be no other practical way

round the problem, which is fraught with difficulties of a highly conflicting nature.”

The New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association, concluded Mr Phillips, had been the body longest associated co-operatively with the trade in the Dominion. That the association had been a real factor in the development of the industry was indicated by the fact that the number of calves handled by it had gradually increased. Before the association had interested itself in the trade, only 30,000 calves were being handled out of a total of 3,000,000. When the association took over in 1933, it had handled 164,000 calves. This total had gradually increased and in 1938 the association handled 237,000 calves. A tear gas bomb exploded in a cloak room at the Victoria cinema, London. A man w.as detained by the police.