INITIATION OF THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5603, 1 June 1905, Page 3

INITIATION OF THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

(To the Editor "N.Z. Times.”) Sir,—ln your sub-loader of the 36th inst., under the heading of Memorials to Public Benefactors, you state tnal tho late Mr Thomas Brydono was the pioneer of tho present dairy factory movement.” I respectfully .point out that vou are mistaken, as tho pioneer co-oper-ative dairy factory in the colony was proposed and established at Greytowu before Mr Brydono put up his proprietary dairy at Bdendale. I had the honour of preceding Mr Brydone by eorao two years, as the Wairarapa people will inform you. Messrs Gilpin and Pardon, of leatherBtoh, established the first proprietary cheese factory at Pcatherstou some time before the co-operative factory at Greytown, and consequently before Mr Brjdone got to work. The Bdendale factory did little good in the South Island, as Mr Brydono owned tho land, cows, and factory, and would not subdivide an acre in dairy factory settlement. I began subdividing in 1876-9, and proposed tho Greytown co-operative factory for the benefit of the farmers in tho following year; not so much for myself, as the original capital was lost through a blunder of tho directors in allowing more for the milk than the cheese realised. I resigned from tho directorate in 1886-7, ae a protest against the directors not treating the venture as a fully co-operative one. I think this was the first instance in tho British Empire wherein the dairy farmex's were compelled to adopt tlx© principle of co-oporation in their output—Denmark only began, in 1882, the same year as Mr Brydone started—aifd Australia about 1886. The principle ha s gone on since in New Zealand in many other directiona—stores, farmers’ unions,. insurance and the like. I shall be glad, however, to ho informed of any co-operative farmers’ movement proposed and established previous to 1880, as I should not like to be in any way presumptuous or make a wrong claim upon this point. I consider thd present small farm prosperity in the colony depends upon the original proposal. Mr Brydono was purely proprietary, and his work had little or no effect in Otago; the North Island, under tho co-operative proposal, rapidly passing tho South Island. 1 must say that I ain opposed to any memorial to Mr Brydone, on the ground that when ho came out from Etogland to assume tho management of his company’s lands his first step was to discharge nearly all hands and convert tho estate into sheep walks; also, that the Government has within the last couple of years had- to take over Edendalo itself under the Land for Settlements Act. Mr Brydone was no friend to small farm settlement in this colony.—l am, etc., COLEMAN PHILLIPS. Holstein Lodge, Carterton, May 27. _____