OUR STAPLE INDUSTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18468, 3 August 1923, Page 11

OUR STAPLE INDUSTRY

DAIRYING IN THE PROVINCE.

TOTAL VALUE OF £7,000,000.

BENEFIT TO WHOLE :, COMMUNITY.

i The value' and the importance of the dairying industry to flic Auckland Province was' the subject of an interesting address delivered by Mr. A, J. Sinclair, ; assistant manager of the New. Zealand Cooperative Dairy Company, at tho' monthly , luncheon of ,the Auckland Chamber ■of Commerce : held in the Town Hall supper ' room yesterday. ' ■"■-■".;/'.' ' ; The speaker dealt with three aspects of ' the question, the first in relation to road, rail and steamer transport services, .the second as 'a trade factor in the purchase ' of supplies directly used in the industry, : and the third as a" factor 'in community life. He prefaced his remarks under these, ' headings by stating that during the past season tho output of dairy produce in the Auckland Province was .35,175 tons of ; butter and 9053 tons. of cheese, the output for the whole of New Zealand being 67,157 tons of butter and 60.066 tons'": of cheese. ■ ■ ■'-.;■ - ' , ' : The value of this'produce in the Auckland Province amounted to about £7.000,000, and , the Dominion's produce was valued at about £18,000,000. The j figures which he was using in illustration j of his statements were based on the actual expenditure incurred during the past sea- ! son by his companw which - had manuj factured 22,020 tons" 'of butter and 5478 I tons of cheese, in addition to a 'consideri able quantity or casein and milk powder, tho company's proportion being, equal to :; two-thirds of the of dairy produce [in the province. • ,r • ■ Over £125,000 in Railway Freights. ; ; Dealing with the question of (transport, Mr. Sinclair said- his ,icompany had prob- ; ably the largest ledger, account 'r of any concern in New Zealand with tho Railway Department, the amount paid for railway freights during the "past year being slightlv under £100,000. The railway freights of tho dairy companies in the -Auckland. Province exceeded £325.000, and the amount paid to' road and river cartage contractors was about £75,000. Waterside workers, he. said, played an part in the transport of dairy produce and machinery, and a careful estimate showed that, under this head, 'over £20.000 had been paid in wages to these men. - Freezing and storage charges amounted to about £80,000 and wharfage dues brought in a revenue of about £4000 annually to;' the Auckland Harbour Board.. . . •.:' . ', . Mr. Sinclair stated that the largest item of expenditure-in connection with transport occurred in connection with coastal and ocean freights, the expenditure in the Auckland Province . last season being .£350,000.;. This applied only to the freight ! on export dairy produce and did not allow for revenue derived from imports associated with the industry. .. . Half-a-million for ' Supplies. '- Coming to the purchase of supplies used directly in the dairy industry of the province last - season, Mr. Sinclair, said his figures were based on the actual. cash, purchases made by his, company, and :he believed he" was ' conservative when -he stated that at least £550,000 had been spent "by the industry in the province in this direction, the goods /being drawn from every part of the world. -He expressed appreciation of the efforts made by New Zealand manufacturers who* were equipping themselves more efficiently for service, to the dairy industryi;,Thfs particularly applied 'the manufacture; of 'dairying machinery, coolers, churns, and i pasteurisers, " while the quality ,of i cans, vats and .tinware turned out by. firms, operating in Auckland City was unrivalled in any. part of the world. ; •. -"•/■ *' ' .The speaker then-dealt with the dairy industry as a factor in . the life of the community. He said there were approximately 12,000-dairy farmers and 1500 factory .and clerical workers associated with the industry in the Auckland Province, and altogether some 60,000 people in the province depended primarily upon this one industry, without 1 taking into consideration J the large number of people dependent in a .secondary* sense upon work associated with 1 ? the industry. He said that labour in- the various dairy factories ■ received £350,000 and pointed out that the ruling prices of dairy" produce at 'present did not allow the farmer; to hoard /any; of his returns,"so that practically the whole of the £7,000.000 received by him went back into • circulation immediately in the' purchase -of- goods and services. ' •■"■■':■ ->' ... Business-Organisation Essential.;. Mr. ; Sinclair concluded by referring to the valuable services rendered by business men of Auckland, who had specialised in the requirements of the industry., The . dairy farmer, he said, was recognjsing more and more that the industry must be managed -by business men -if he. were to keep abreast of.,the competition- he was meeting in various parts of the worß, » - Replying to questions, Mr. Sinclair said the industry^ would benefit by a more extensive system of advertising abroad,, and this was a matter, which could well be placed in the hands ■of the committee which 'it waJ proposed, Under 1 the Dairy Control Bill, should- attend to marketing at the ■ London end; VHe also thought /the Government f should f appoint experts to carry out ;■■ scientific investigations :in connection with the industry, and mentioned that, two such'"experts employed by 'his company had saved the shareholders thousands of pounds in small matters alone. The Hon. /George Fowlds said he thought that .in'addition to a chair of agriculture they should have at the Auckland University College a chair of dairy science. r: .■ s "'..''■■•