BUTTER AND CHEESE FACTORIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13390, 19 January 1907, Page 8

BUTTER AND CHEESE FACTORIES.

A MARKED INCREASE

Ix a return relating to butter ami cheese factories, issued by the Registrar-General, it i.- shown that comparison of the returns collected at the census of 1906 with that of 1901 indicate great development. Not only did, the number of factories increase from 247 to 264 between 1901 and 1906, besides skimming stations in connection with them— 459 against 202—hut the value of the output rose to £1,046,489 over the. amount for 1901. The figures are £2,581,639 for 1905, against £1,535.150 for 1900. The produce of factory-made butter for 1905 was set down at 51,818,6071b, 'and for 190G at 29,758,3101b, .while cheese made similarly increased from 139,687cwt to 150,061ewt in the same period. By far the greater number of factories lor making butter are in the. North Island, the number having been 190 out of a total ot 264, which turned out 40,300.00011) of butter in tin- year 1905, leaving nearly 11,500.0001b as the output for the Middle Island. Taranaki is the provincial district in which the operations are by far the largest, 16.40O,O0O!b of butter being the result of the factory operations, and over 42.500: wl of cheese. ' Wellington factories show for 1905 a total of over 12,100,0001b of butter and 34,700cwt of cheese. Otago makes more cheese (49,600cwt)" in her factories than any other district. The butter was found to be a little-over 5,600,0001b for the year. Tin* money invested for purposes of this industry in -land, buildings, machinery, and plant has largely increased. In the following statistics the figures.in parentheses are for the 1901 census : — Number of factories, 264 (247); number of hands employed, 1484 (1183): amount paid in wages, £131.123 (£96.433): amount of horse-power, 3759 (2399): approximate value of land, £56,008 (£38,780); approximate value of buildings £215,178 (£147.307): approximate value of machinery and plant, £345,080 (£202.663). The produce return is as follows for 1905. compared with 1900, the 1900 figures being in parentheses: — Butter : Quantify, 51,818,60711. (29.753,3101b): value, £2.195,631 (£1.205,520). Cheese: Quantity, 7503 tons (6984 ton,-,); value, £362,684 (£303,758). Other produce: Value, £23,274 (£27.872). Total value of all produce, £2,581.639 (£1.535,150). In addition to the above registered factories there were 384 private dairies, of which Taianaki possessed 228.