THE DAIRY INDUSTRY IN THE NORTH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 6

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY IN THE NORTH.

(Special to the Witness.)

Lait year's experiences of the dairy business liave proved disappointing both to faotory .owners and milk suppliers. Mocsrg Cook and Co., who own the central factory at Pahiatup, with several creameries in the neighbourhood, fouud it necessary to call the suppliers together towards the end of last season and to arrange with them for a reduction in the price of milk, owing to the fall in the price of butter. Messrs Cock and Co. again act; the suppliers at Ihe beginning of the season, end the result was an arrangement of a cc-oje-ative character, Vkereby the titm will advar.ee the farmers 2\ 1 this season, but the farmers are to share with the faotory ownera the loss or profit oh the season's operations. That is to say, if the butter realises more lhan a certain price the farmers are to get more ; and should it realise lees there will be a refund. . The Wocdville Cheese Factory, which has never paid less than 3d a gallon iv any previous year, haß found it necessary to reduce the price of milk'this season, and has made au arrangement with the farmers by which they are to receive 2|d per gallon, and get as a bonus half the difference should a rise in cheese fake place. While the farmers supplying the butter factories get back their ebare of the ekim milk, the suppliers '.o tfce cheese factory get nothing back, as the proprietors go in largely for pigs, aud keep all the whey for their own ufc ' The New Zealand Dairy Farmers' Union has Lad new life put into it by the addition to the Board of Diteetois of Mr Nicholas Reid, of W. and G. Turnbull and C>. ; and also by the appo : ntment of Blr Young as manager. Mr Young has had large exceii«nce in Victoria, and is reorganising the business with every promisß of success. The union has made a plucky 6tart this season by agreeing to advance the farmers 3<i per gdlon. ) There is serious trouble loomiDg over the i New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company's buttsr factory at Billance, in the Pahiatua district. The factory cost £kOOO, ■ and has only been in operation for one season. The Ball&nce district is a niagnificent one for "dairying purposes, and there are two creameries established in conjunction with the factory. ' On the results of the season's operations being baUnced up it was found ttere was & loss of over £1100. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company then called on tha farmers to pay up this loss. Tho advance ;xnade during the wason to suppliers was on an average of 3d per gallon. This demand meant that the suppliers would have to refund l^d per gallon. A meeting of farmers was held, and it was decided to take the opinion of Messrs Stout, Mondy, Sim, and Fmdlay on the contract, the suppliers alleging that the amount of advance (80 per cent ) was not on the agreement when they sigutd. The suppliers htive now been advised that this may be held to void the agreement, and they refuse to pay up the demand for refund, preferring to let the Now Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company takejthe matter into court. This, the manager inf orms mf , the company intends to do. Meantime the factory remains closed, as the farmers iefuse to Bupply it. On the olher hand, the result is a severe loss to the settlers, as they have no factory to which to deliver tbeir milk. Meantime oyertores ate being made to Messrs Cook and Go. to wopen faeis old creamery,

the building of which renniua in the district, though the plaut has bjen removed. Several of the firms here who are interested in dairying expect a better season than la*t. Thß opening of the dairy school at Stratford und'-r tho Government dairy experts, | Messrß M&cE»*n and Suwors, attracted a large number of btude'its, who were much pleased with the wrinkles they pickel up. Moro attention is being paid to the subject of winter dairying than hitherto. Although ■ Stratford is in the centre of tho biggest dairyling district in the North Inland, th<i people of that town had th-j u-.plfAsant exptricuce of a butter famine duiing the winter months. No butter could be got in Taraoaki, and a supply that was obtained in Wellington toon disappeared. Mr MacEwan, the Government experb, is a strong hdvocate of winter dairying, *nd so is Mr Young, of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. Mr Young inform* me that the Victorian farmers h»vc realised as high as ♦d a gallon for the milk delivered to the factories during the past winter. Mr Bl*cßw*n ops gone to Blenheim to work up tho dairying business in the Mariborough district. The Maharahara Dairy Company are endeavouring to lease their factory. They ran it very successfully last season a* a cheese factory, but the farmers in the district are nob backing up tfae«r efforts as they ought, and the supply ot milk remains small.