N.Z. FARMERS DAIRY UNION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1182, 26 October 1894, Page 6

N.Z. FARMERS DAIRY UNION.

A WELLINGTON BUTTER FACTORY. The progress which the New Zealand Farmers* Dairy Union is making is fully exemplified by the erection in Wellington of a butter factory, which has lately been completed, and was formally opened by the Premier on Monday afternoon last. The Union is in every respect a co-opera-tive body, members simply receiving an advance of, say, 3d per gallon, on milk of fair quality, and the profits and loss are divided among them. On the guarantee that 200 shares will be taken up, and the milk of 250 cows provided, the Union undertake to put up a creamery, of which there are now as many as 20 erected under their auspices, together with the central factory at Palmerston, and that just erected at Wellington. The butter factory and creamery at Palmerston is supplied from creameries at Sandon, Pohang’ina, Kairanga, Rangitikei Line, Bunnythorpe, Stoney Creek and Ashurst, while the factory at Wellington will receive its supplies from creameries at Eketahuna, Hastwell, Fernridge, Fea.therston, Kaiwaiwai, Upper Hutt, Wainui, Tokomaru, Shannon, Foxton, Levin, Manakau and Tawa Flat. Together they will utilise the milk of over 6000 cows during the season, and as the benefits of the system become more widely known it is highly probable that this number will be very largely increased.

The object of erecting the factory at Wellington is to supply the market and export trade, and every arrangement has been made to enable that object to be successfully carried out. From 9 to 10 o’clock every morning local dealers will be able to obtain their supplies at the factory at a fixed price all the year round, so that there is every prospect of doing away with the trouble so often experienced of getting good butter at certain seasons of the year. That this system is appreciated by local buyers is abundantly proved by the fact that although the town trade was only commenced a few days since, contracts have already been entered into for from 5000 to 7000 boxes per annum. Mr W. Bewley, of New Plymouth, is the chairman of directors, Mr D. H. Roberts is secretary, and Messrs Joseph Nathan and Co. are the financial agents. The manager is Mr W. J. Birch, whose wide experience in these matters is sufficient guarantee that under his management the best arrangements will be made for the Union and consumers alike. Since 1879 he has been working on similar lines in Dunedin, first in connection with the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company, and then with the New Zealand Dairy Supply Company. After severing his connection with the latter company, Mr Birch came to the North Island for family reasons, and his presence here has been taken advantage of by the directors of the New Zealand Farmers’ Dairy Union. Seeing that the establishment of such a factory in our midst is likely to prove of very great benefit to the city generally, a detailed account of the system employed therein will doubtless prove of interest to our readers. The building is of a substantial character, erected by Mr Munro, builder, on a section of land fronting the railway line on one side, and leased for a term of years from the Railway Commissioners. The advantages of such a position are exceptional, and arrangements have been made with the Commissioners for a railway siding to be made as soon as the business of the factory has become sufficiently great to warrant such a course being adopted. The cream as it arrives from the creameries is taken in carts to the southern end of the building, and is drawn up by means of a hydraulic lift to the first floor. It is then emptied into a large tinned steel vat, capable of holding about 300 gallons, from which it is conducted through a long covered trough into an adjoiningroom, and passed by a continuation of tlfe trough into the insulated chamber below. There it is run into a “ Simplex ” cooler, and divided into the cream vats, each capable of holding one churning of 3001 b of butter. In these vats the cream goes through the several processes, by means of steam and cold water coils, of cooling, heating, ripening, and cooling off ready for churning. It is in these vats that the fermentation really takes place, a portion of the proceedings in which very great care must be exercised. When perfectly prepared the cream is run through spoutings into swing churns. These are worked by .machinery, and as the churn swings backward and forward the cream within forms an exact representation of the figure 8. When the butter has come the buttermilk is run off by means of a tap in the bottom of the churn, into tanks under the chamber, after which it is conducted by means of a centrifugal pump into a tank outside, and then disposed of. The butter is washed in the churn, with water filtered in the chamber, into granules, lifted out with horsehair sieves into drippers, drained perfectly dry, and placed in large salting tubs, where the salt is added. While m these tubs the butter is thoroughly stirred, and is then placed on a circular table, and as this revolves two fluted rollers placed close together knead the salt into it and press out all the moisture. After being placed on trays and allowed to stand for six hours it is ready for packing or printing-, as the case may be. The printing —stamping would perhaps be the more correct term — is done by means of a small machine, the , butter having been previously carefully

weighed into lib parcels. These are wrapped in parchment, on which is printed the words " New Zealand Farmers’ Dairy Union, Ltd.,” and placed, 14 at a time, on shelves, ready for packing into boxes holding 561 b each. The dimensions of the insulated chamber in which these operations are carried on are 36ft x 32ft, and it is insulated with six inches of prepared pumice. In addition to this, the whole of the windows are double, and there is only one entrance, an insulated plug door, which is only opened when it is absolutely necessary, in order _ that the temperature of the chamber, which is kept at about 56deg. Fahr., shall not vary. Adjoining is the freezing chamber, the cold from which is given off to the insulated' chamber by means of two large tanks, through which calcium brine circulates. The freezing chamber itself is 34ft x 14<ft, and 7ft in height, and has a storage capacity of 50 tons. It is insulated in the same manner as the insulated chamber, and contains an ice tank, and the temperature is kept at from 30 to 40deg\ Fahr. Adjoining the insulated chamber, at the southern end, is the engine-room, containing a 20 h.p. engine of the Tang-ye’s type, manufactured by Messrs Luke and Sons, of Wellington, who have given the greatest satisfaction. There is also a carbon and iodide freezing machine by J. and E. Hall (Limited), of Dartford, England, with which the freezing is done by means of the expansion and contraction of carbolic acid gas. The boilerroom contains a 20 h.p. boiler, manufactured by Messrs Luke and Sons, and storage for 1100 gallons of hot water for use for washing and other purposes. Adjoining this is a room used for scalding the cream tanks before they are returned to the various creameries. The “ Simplex ” aerators which are in use in the factory are patented and manufactured by Messrs Dryden Bros., Manners street. A small room on the first floor is set apart as a testing room, where samples of all the milk supplied are tested by the manager on Dr Babcock’s system. There is also a box store, 36ft x 24ft, a private room occupied by the manager, a salt store room, from which the salt is transferred to the insulated room below by means of a shoot, a directors’ room, and public office. Adjoining the office is a room at present vacant, but when the export trade is fairly under way the butter will be brought up through a trapdoor from the freezing chamber below, and passed out by means of a shoot, tally being kept in the office. The building will be illuminated throughout with the electric light. The building and machinery will, when completed, have cost between <£3ooo and £4OOO, and the yearly output is expected to be something like 1000 tons. That the establishment of the factory will prove beneficial to the city is clearly shown by the fact that at Palmerston the value of ground has increased since the factory was established by about 50 per cent., and some sections which previously could not be let have sold at larger prices The factory will be in full working order at the beginning of next week.

OPENING CEREMONY,

A large number of ladies and gentlemen interested in the dairy industry assembled at the butter factory erected by the New Zealand Farmers’ Dairy Union to witness ( the formal opening on Monday afternoon. The proceedings took place in the box store on the first floor, which had been tastefully decorated for the occasion, seats being provided for the visitors. Mr W. Bewley, chairman of directors'* said that, on behalf of the New Zealand Farmers’ Dairy Union, he had much pleasure in welcoming the Premier and the company generally there that day. The Union was composed of a largo number of dairy farmers; on the success of this institution depended their success, and on their success depended the settlement of a very large area of land. Now, in order to obtain that success, they had instituted the factory in which they were now assembled, and they had also endeavoured to supply the most modern machinery and the best butter-makers that could be procured in Ngav Zealand. They hoped to place the product on the top of the market, where there was always room, and to remove the stigma from New Zealand, which it had so .unjustly earned, considering the great natural advantages they enjoyed, of being behind the other colonies in this respect. (Hear, hear.) They felt that considering the great interest Mr Seddon and his Government had taken in the question of settling the people on the land, and considering that the dairy industry was more calculated than any other to effect that object, they could not ask anyone who would more fittingly and appropriately perform the opening ceremony than Mr Seddon himself. He had, therefore, very much pleasure in thanking him for having attended in response to their invitation, no doubt at very great personal inconvenience, and to thank the ladies and gentlemen for assisting them by their presence. He would now call upon the Premier to perforin the opening ceremony. (Applause.) The Premier assured the company that it gave him very great pleasure to be there. He felt that in being present ho was only performing a duty which devolved on himself, and had he not responded to the invitation sent by the company, he should not have been doing that which was in their interests and in the interests of every man, woman and child in New Zealand. (Hear, hear.) When the application was first made by this company for the lease of the land on which the factory was erected the Railway Commissioners were very pleased to recommend it. When it came before him as Minister for Public Works special concessions had to be granted, seeing that as the law stood, unless there were 1' special circumstances, public interest demanded that the land should be submitted to public competition. The directors ex-

plained to him the position in which they stood, and assured him they were prepared, within a very limited period, to spend a large sum of money on their, works, and that all in connection with them should be up to date, and that they would commence operations forthwith. On that assurance the Government gave the necessary permission, and he complimented the chairman and the directors of the company for having kept faith with Colony, seeing that in a very short time a substantial building containing the most perfect appliances had been erected. (Applause.) That augured well for the company. The Government liked to do business with people who understood what they were about, and he believed the business of the company was in the hands of competent men, and as they had made so good a start, so he believed they would finish. He thought there was no industry which had progressed so satisfactorily in the Colony and under considerable difficulties as had the dairy industry. Of course he did not wish to detract from those who, like his friend Mr Buchanan, had aided the frozen meat movement. They deserved every encouragement and every credit. (Applause.) They had been the forerunners, but he did not think in a country like this they should have all their eggs in one basket. Of course there was competition and the frozen meat industry was threatened, though he was pleased to see they were holding their own and would continue to do so. All the same it was as well to keep pace with the times, and they knew that this part of the Colony was more adapted to the dairy industry, so that taking the two together they were proving to the country they were not unmindful of what was for its benefit. They would naturally expect he should give some statistics as to what had taken place relating to the dairy industry in the Colony. In 1882 the first cheese factories were established, one at Edendale and the other at Flemmgton, and now they had 55 cheese factories, 62 ; butter factories and 60 creameries, making a total of 177. Those employed over 300 hands. It was estimated there were 57,000 cows milked, for the supply of milk to factories and creameries. In addition to the hands at the factories and creameries, a much larger number must of necessity be employed for the milking and other duties required in connection with such a large nurabor of cows. In 1883 there were exported 8869 cwt of butter, valued at .£42,020, and 2519 cwt of cheese valued at £6892, making a total value of £48,912. In 1893 there were exported 58,147 cwt of butter valued at £254,645, and 46,198 cwt of cheese, valued at £99,626, making a totel value of £354,271. They would see therefore that in 10 years there had been an increase in the value of their exports in butter and cheese of £305,359. It was satisfactory to note therefore that there was likely to be a considerable increase in the number of factories and creameries at work this season. During this session a new Dairy Industry Act had been passed, in which provision was made for produce being put in cool stores prior to shipment, and to assist the industry in this direction the Government had decided to provide a month’s free storage at the principal ports of shipment. Provision was also being made for the grading of produce. Without some little assistance the Government would scarcely be able to prove its sincerity in regard to this promising industry, but when he told them there would be something like £7OOO placed upon the estimates with a view of assisting the industry, in providing cool storage and assisting in grading, they would understand that the Parliament (he did not say the Government, but the Parliament, the representatives of the people) were alive to what was necessary in the interests of New Zealand. (Applause.) They must keep pace with the times. He had regretted very much reading in the press what had been said condemning the quality of the butter exported from New Zealand, and, knowing the capabilities of the country, and that they had the land, the grass and the cows, he felt sure the blame rested with those who had neglected to do what was right in the interests of the Colony, and not with the members of the farming community. By such appliances as they saw around them, by the establishment of creameries and factories throughout the length and breadth of the Colony, all that would be avoided, and whilst the farmers had done their share in the country districts it behoved the capitalists and the Government of the country to do their part, so that by worktogether one common good must eventuate. He sincerely trusted the efforts of the New Zealand Farmers’ Dairy Union would prove successful. Mr W. J. Birch, the manager, was a gentleman of very wide experience—(applause) —and he felt certain that with him at the head the shareholders might have every confidence, and rest assured that nothing would be wanting on his part to ensure success. He asked them to join with him in givingthree cheers for the chairman, directors and management of the company, and to wish them every success in their undertaking. He would now declare the factory open. (Applause.) Three cheers having been heartily given, . Mr W. C. Buchanan, M.H.R., said it gave him equal pleasure with the Premier to be present on that occasion, and to join with him in wishing success to this young and flourishing company. Eleven years ago he and his friend Mr Udy took part as codirectors in opening the first dairy factory in the North Island and the second dairy factory in th.e Colony. That factory been doing good work and had no end of imitators in the N orth Island. The Premier had kindly alluded to his connection with the frozen meat industry. The dairy factory he had alluded to was not a buttei factory, but the frozen meat company had always kept the dairy industry m vie a', and on the occasion of opening the dairy

factory he predicted the day was coming when the frozen meat industry w'ould play second fiddle to the industry they had met that day to help along. He had no reason to believe that his prediction, made eleven years ago, would not be fulfilled in due time —i® fact the certainty became greater every day, and although he was classed as one of the social pests — (laughter)—he saw the very great good that would arise from the success of the dairy industry, because it employed so much more labour than was possible in producingsheep to freeze and export to England. He wished the Union every success. (Applause.) Mr A. W. Hogg, M.H.K., said ho was exceedingly pleased an industry of this character had been established in Wellington, because he recognised that co-opera-tive efforts of this character could only be well carried out when they had the element of concentration. They were now engaged in the process of concentrating the whole of the fat and cream in that wealthy district —a district that for agricultural wealth was not surpassed by any other in the whole of the Co my—and they were going to make this factory a medium for distributing the wealth m a more concrete form in the shape of a wages fund to the dairy farmers. He considered a factory of this kind would do more than almost anything else to keep toil in its true form wedded to the soil of the country. If there was anything that would promote settlement, it was the small dairy farmers, and they need never be afraid the demands upon the industry of the small settlers would ever cease so long as they had plenty of dairying. He was sure the Union would be successful. (ApplaUs'-.)

Three cheers were then given for the manager, and three more, with one extra, for the Premier.

Afternoon tea, provided by Mr J. Godber, was then x>artaken of by the visitors, many of whom also made a tour of the factory and inspected the various appliances, a full description of which has already been published in the columns of this paper.