Wyndham Dairy Factory Company.

Otago Witness, Issue 1764, 12 September 1885, Page 14

Wyndham Dairy Factory Company.

According to the articles of association of the above company, the annual general meeting takes place on the first Friday of September in each year. Owing, however, to the very boisterous state of the weather, the meeting of shareholders held last Friday was not a large one, only about 30 being present.

Mr Jas. Forsyth, chairman of directors, was in the chair, and read the following report : — " Gentlemen, as this is the first meeting of shareholders since that held on 11th April last, when the company was declared floated, and directors appointed, no doubt there are many anxious to know what progress has been made. In the first place the directors advertised for competitive plans for a factory ; this was the means of bringing out five competitors, all of whom submitted good, workable plans, but after consideration the directors approved of the one forwarded by Mr Geo. Inglis, of Edendale, as being the most practical. Tenders for* the erection of the factory in brick were then called, but as only two offers were sent in, and those at figures the directors considered much in excess of what the company could afford, a resort to wood, on a slightly modified plan, was the consequence. The successful tenderers on this occasion were the Messrs Finlayson Brothers, at £680. You have all no doubt noted the erection of this building, which will be finished before the end of the present month. Working plant was the next consideration. After making the necessary inquiries it was decided to order from New York a Wire's patent rotary vat of 1200 gallons capacity. This is now at the Bluff, and will come forward within the next few days. A sub - committee was also appointed to make full inquiries respecting other portions of the machinery, and the directors are happy to be in a position to

state that most of the machinery is looked out, and will be placed in the factory when deemed advisable. The boiler is daily expected, and the engine will not be far behind. An advertisement inviting applications from suitable candidates to the position of cheesemaker was the next step, but, much to the surprise of the directors, only three applications were forthcoming, and not one of the applicants understood the working of Wire's vat, consequently our attention was turned to America, and Burrell and Whitman (from whom the vat was ordered) were communicated with, and asked to send out a thoroughly competent manufacturer on the Canadian Cheddar system of cheese-making, also combining a thorough knowledge of the working of the Wire's vat. A salary of L 250 per annum has been offered, and although a reply is not yet to hand, and can hardly be expected till about the 20th inst., the directors are confident that there are plenty of competent men in America who will jump at the terms offered. Some guarantee of the probable milk supply was the next consideration. With that end in view delegates were appointed for certain districts, and as a result of their inquiries the milk of fully 600 cows was promised. From recent reports however, the directors are afraid that these figures will suffer considerable reduction. This is much to be regretted, and we would take this opportunity of firmly impressing on those shareholders who promised to send a certain quantity of milk to keep as near that guarantee as possible, as upon the first year's transactions of the company hangs to a great extent its future prosperity. Several of the directors have been ascertaining probable foreign markets for the products of the factory, with satisfactory results. There is little else to report. The balance-sheet submitted shows that the application and allotment calls have been very well responded to, but the last shows a number of shareholders in arrears. The price of milk delivered at the factory has been fixed at 4d per gallon of 101b. Since the directors were appointed 10 meetings have been held, at which the attendance has been as folio vs :— Messrs Forsyth, 10: Doull, 9; M'Kay, 8 ; Lumsden, 8 ; Templeton, 8 ; Walker, 7 ; Milne, 8 ; Allan, 6 ; Carpenter, 6."

In moving the adoption of the report, Mr Forsyth said that the directors had endeavoured to do the task allotted to them to the best of their knowledge, and at the same time he had never been on a directory where more harmony and good-feeling prevailed. The adoption of the report was seconded by Mr Cushnie and carried unanimously. . The secretary submitted an interim balancesheet, which 'showed £570 had been made in calls, of which amount £372 2s 6d had been paid, leaving arrears to the amount of £197 12s 6d.

Mr I. W. Raymond having been appointed permanent secretary, the meeting broke up.