TAIERI AND PENINSULA MILK SUPPLY COMPANY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 9

TAIERI AND PENINSULA MILK SUPPLY COMPANY.

OPENING OF NEW PRBMJSES

through his action. — (Applause.) The addresses he had received as he proceeded through the districts showed the strong sentiment of the people, and he believed the warm expression of loyalty came from the heart, and everybody looked to England as the mother land. Everywhere where that flag which so proudly floated over the Empira was to be seen ifc called forth loyal feelings. For a few month? they had been passiDg through stormy times. It was difficult from the tele- j grams in tbe newspapers and from the other sources of information available to tell what j might happen. Were the remaining days of | their Sovereign to end in peace and tranquility P He trusted they would. — (Applause.) Or vras the cloud which was hanging over Europe to overlap them ? No man could tell. But of this he felb certain — that .should the day ever come when they should have to uphold the honour of the flag, there jwere many in New Zealand would come forward with hand and heart to support it as they had always done. — , (Applause.) He thanked them most heartily < for the very cordial reception they had given ' him. | The Governor then paid a visib to tbe Fairfax School and the Milton Pottery, after which he proceeded'to Balolutha by the evening train. j

Over 60 gentlemen assembled at the i.Taieri and ' Peninsula / Milk Supply Company's premises in Great King street on Thursday afternoon at the invitation of the company to inspect their new butter factory. The new portion of the premises is, like the old portion, constructed of brick, and measures 50£t x 80t't. la the front of the building is the office— a well lighted and ventilated room, measuring 27ffc x 2Mb, — and off this there is another room, rather smaller, which is used for holding meetings of the directors of the company. Afc the rear of the office is the batter factory, which measures 50ft x 40Ffc. It is a lofty, well ventilated room, Jilted up with all the necessary appliances for butter making according to the most modern methods. These are four churns in the factory, two butter workers, and four large cream vats, each having a holding capacity of 600gaI. The churns ara each capable of holding 5001b of butter, and by means of them one ton of butter can be manufactured in an hour if necessary. Adjoining the butter factory is a room fitted up with one of tha De Laval "Alpha" cre&m separators, which is capable of putting .through 400 gal per hour. In connection with the butter factory there ia also a butter printing room, in which four hands are employed. .The butter, after passing- through a printing machine, is cut up into pats, wrapped in specially prepared paper, and passed on to another room called the delivery department. The hands employed in the printing room are able to put over one ton of butler through the machine in a day. Adjoining the printing room there is a freezing chamber capable of holding 100 tons. In connection with this room there is a -12-i-ton " Hercules" freezing machine, which cost £1750. At the preseut time tha company are turning put about 1£ tons of butter per day, but in tho summer time they turn out something like four times that quantity. The factory is said by experts to'be one of- the most complete factories in the Southern hemisphere, and the visitors who were shown through it yesterday all expressed their admiration of it. At the rear of the factory has been erected a flue large 20-stall stable and cart shed. There are 12 retail carts belonging to the company which leave their premises every day, and there ara also aYiunaber of waggons bringing in milk and cream into the factory. Some 14 creameries are likewise connected with the factory. The new additions to the factory, it may be mentioned, cost £9000, and the whole of the buildings, &c., were erected at a cost of £13,000. After the visitors had been shown over the factory yesterday they were entertained at a light repast, tit which a number of speeches were made by several gentlemen present. Among those in attendance were the following directors of the company : — Messrs A. Stuart (Higholiff), W. Nicolson (Hampden), E. Roger (Peninsula), and J. Wright (Taieri). The first-named of the above gentlemen presided, and the following among other visitors weie alao present : — Messrs A. Sligo, M.H.R., J. Sinclair Thomson, J, D. Ritchie, J. F. Lang, C. W. Sorenaon, A. A. Thornton, Jaa. Sawere, Cummins, Mark Sinclair, R. W. D. Robertson, D. Baxter, W. Wright, J, N. Mills, J. R. Scott, W. Taylor, G. M. Thomson, A. Burt, S. V. Knight, J. R. MacEwan, A. Kilpatrick, J. Aagns, "Bacon, K. Hudson, J. Chisaolm, F. J. Hart, R. A. Petfeigiew, G. D. Gibbs, Crawford Watson, John Wither, J. Rose, D. M. Miller, W. J. Bolb, W. Riddell, W. Thomson, T. Muir, A. Orbell, A. Patoraon, and Simmons.

After the usual loyal toast had been duly honoured.

The Chairman briefly proposed " The Parliament of New Zealand."

Mr A. Smgo, M.H.K., in responding to the toast;, eaid he believed the Governmenb and the ParHirnent of New Zealand were anxious to do all they could to aid-the dairy, industry. He thought ifc v^puld hardly be disputed that the industry was" going to be a very large and important one, not only in this colony bat in the southern hemisphere. He noticed that the Minister for Lands, speaking at Palmerston, took considerable credit to the Government For aiding and promoting the industry, and he (Mr Sligo) thought that he' was fully entitled to claim all he did in that connection. — (Hear, hear.) 16 would b8 admitted that what bad been done by the Government in regard to grading, examining, &c, had been entirely in the interests of the industry. He west on to Bay that he was sure the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company were producing the very best artiole that could be produced in their magnificent premises.— (Hear, hear.) Mr Nicoi-son proposed the toast of "The Agricultural department." In x doing so, hs said there was not the slightest doubt the dairying industry would be the mainsfcay of New Zealand before long; and all present would agree wif.h him that the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company had shcmi a very good example in what they had done to develop the industry. The company carried on sv co-operative business, and he did not think that there .was anything south of the line to compete with their factory. So far as the Agricultural department was concerned, the company were greatly indebted to the head of the department, Mr M'Kenzie, and also to Mr Ritchie, for the able assistance afforded them. Mr J. D. Ritchie, who responded to the toast, said he was certain that the Minister for Lauds would do everything he could for the dairy industry. The department was now preparing an amendment to the Dairy Industry Act which would give them some broader powers, both in the way of inspection and also possibly providing for advances being made for the erection of dairy factories. He thought such a provision as this would be of a great assistance, especially in new districts. Mr J. B. MacKwan proposed the health of fchfl

Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company. In doing so he said the company, by working on proper lines and being careful with regard to details, had developed an institution which was, in his opinion, one of the best in the world.— (Applause.) He had had an opportunity of looking into dairy matters in Australia, America, and in Europe,, and he could honestly say that 1 no better dairy factory had come under his ! notice. Mr Riddell, the manager of the factory, and and Mr Bolt, the business manager, replied briefly on behalf of the company. I The Chaibman said before those present dis- < persed, he would give them a few figures showing the progresi of the company. It was 14 years ago since the company was initiated. Since then they had gradually extended their premises until they had grown to their present dimensions. The first year's turnover only amounted to some £5000 odd. Since then the company had gone forward by leaps and bounds ' until now the turnover was over £56,000 a ! year.