THE MANAGER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 21

THE MANAGER.

HIS JNFLLENGE ON THE OUTPUT. In the August number of the Journal of Agriculture (Victoria) is an address delivered by the senior dairy supervisor, J. S. M'Fadzean, before the factory managers conference at Melbourne in May last, some extracts which are here given as possibly of interest to Dominion cheese makers. To first thought, it might appear that the duties of manager in a cheese or butter factory are mainly confined to the manufacture of a good commercial product. Certainly, the ability to turn out uniformly good saleable produce from the varying quality of milk or cream supplied by the average farmer is a most necessary item in his numerous qualifications; still, most managers will admit that this is by no means the most difficult part of the work. Scientific research has, to a considerable extent, reduced the main variations in the manufacture of dairy produce to questions of acidity and temperature, the problems ol which are possible of being mastered by a reasonable amount of study and practice, but the many qualifications other than this which combine to make the successful manager are inherent in the individual natural gifts, possibly latent, but capable of much development. The position of manager affords great opportunity for individual initiative, and many have succeeded in building up trade whore others have failed. Weather conditions, of course, largely control the cream supply at every factory; but, apart from this, increase of business will come to some managers without any apparent effort. Others not so fortunate may set this down to luck, but there is more than mere chance behind it; and a little observation will disclose the fact _ that the successful manager has a knack ot building up trade that is peculiarly his own, and it is the outcome of tactful, resourceful, and forceful method. Looking closer into this, it may be seen that, apart from a scientific and practical knowledge of his work, to be successful a manager must possess good business acumen, determination, and tenacity of purpose, tact, and initiative, and it will also be most advantageous to him to have a leaning towards scientific agriculture. Foremost amongst these may safely be set that most valuable qualification business ability; meaning in this instance not so much a knowledge of finance, or keenness jn making a bargain, but particularly calling for honest trading, and a determination to” see that both the factory and its suppliers get their fair duo. For instance, should it happen that a somewhat grasping Individual —and there are such —be both a cream supplier and one of the factory directors, and thus in a position of some authority over the manager, it may require no little tact on the part of the latter to keep the scales of justice on an even balance. To in any way favour one supplier is to bo somewhat unfair to all others, and It is better to risk offending by fair than by unfair dealing; for while the latter is in danger of disclosing itself at any time, the straight course makes for universal confidence. This confidence of his suppliers is the best safeguard the manager can have against interference with his supply by trade competitors, being in itself a potent factor in building up trade, and it is absolutely essential to success. To be able to distinguish between those suppliers who bring in low-grade cream inadvertently. and such as are careless in their methods, also requires some little study. A few well-directed questions may in some instances suffice to discover the truth, but other cases may continue to puzzle the manager for some time, oven perhaps, until an inspection is made of the dairy farm. In dealing with such, assistance can frequently bo Had from the district dairy supervisor by acquainting him with the trouble, and asking for a quiet investigation, which will invariably be attended” to. But where the Government inspection of dairy farms has not yef become operative, the manager may have to personally make the inquiry. It is hero a knowledge of the producer’s side of the business will bo necessary; for water supplv. drainage, ventilation. fodder, method of feeding, and health of cattle, as well as the handling of the milk and cream, may all call for investigation, to do which the manager will require to be what the Americans would call “some” dairyman. When occasion demands- that advice or other instruction regarding his cream supply has to be imparted to a client, the astute manager will always give it personally and privately, allowing each to keep their own Counsel on the matter if they so desire and they will respect him for it. Most suppliers will take heed of what is said to them privately, whereas an attempt to correct their shortcomings in the presence of others will invariably give offence, and enmity may be thus incurred, and custom lost. 'Straight talking makes good friends if only discretion is exercised in its use. Cither classes of customers requiring some tact to handle are those who imagine they are not getting a fair cream test, and who are continually changing about from one factory to another in search of bettor results. Some of these arc careful people, who can ho brought to have confidence :n their local factory by closer acquaintance with the manager and his working methods; but others are so mistrusting that it is hard to deal with thorn. Usually, the fault lies with themselves, their style of trading being characteristic, of their dairying methods; and. the dairy farmer who lacks system m the handling and the delivery of his cream will certainly have variation in its quality nrd test With it ?« well to bear in mini he I. I here - -! -v;> the possibility of reform in -vi, i erratic of indiVidu !. and tli- m-<> ■’ who will go out 01 h i (lie difference by findrn : ine - i.'!-a n J • itisfaction, will Vnore than Iff; - : . inwin tlio supplier 3 confidence, and his improved custom

permanently. The satisfied customer is the best advertisement the factory can have, and the watchful manager will not allow a supplier to go elsewhere if a special effort will retain him lie can look him up for a quiet talk at a sale, or on market days, but for preference cull on him at his farm. In most cases the fanner is more approachable at home, and the interest shown in his supply will Ire appreciated; so that, if the difference between them is not there and then adjusted, the call will af least leave the way clear for the farmer to again become a supplier without having practically to acknowledge he had made a mistake in leaving the factory, as ho will probably quickly find out. Broadly speaking, the local factory should be the best for every farmer in the district, and the man ager should see that he gets all of the trade. Providing he is strictly impartial m his business methods, the farmers will give him full credit for hustling for trade, and they will also give him much assistance when they see he is working for it. In short, by the exorcise of tact, hustle, and perseverance, combined with honest trading, the suppliers may bo brought to work with the manager to increase the business of the factory, and all will benefit thereby.

An abundance of fodder is necessary to produce a good cream supply, and in many instances the manager will be found to have increased his output considerably by interesting himself in the farm work of his clients. Many farmers will benefit by being reminded each month in respect to fodder sowings. Their main crops of hay, potatoes, or maize will be regularly put in; but the necessity for having an additional acre or so for early green stuff, mangolds, or a late crop of maize, may bo easily overlooked; and it is those early and late sowings that most frequently carry the milking herd safely through some critical time in the autumn or winter months. Even when the manager feels that he is not qualified to give advice on farming matters, he may meet the situation, by keeping in a handy position one of the farming calendars distributed by the citv seed firms, and which give directions for this work, and by reference thereto when occasion offers ho can raise a discussion in regard to what should 1 be sown. . . . To keep the herd well supplied, a sowing of some fodder crop shopld be made at least every second month throughout the year, allowing that the area sown each time will provide fully ICcwt of green feed for each cow, and not less than ISowt per head for the autumn and winter months. It is impossible to over-emphasise the necessity for dairy farmers having an abundance of fodder on hand at all times; and should favourable seasons provide what might appear to be a superabundance, it can be ensiled. The farmer with a full silo has no immediate fears of a drop in his milk yield.; even a three months’ -dry spell will trouble him little, though his less provident neighbours may see their returns dwindle to vanishing point through the want of succulent fodder. From month to month, without fail, talk cultivation and care of the milking stock, and the factory returns will continue to increase. It will be recognised that all that has been said here on this subject is with the object of making the factory a centre of information io its suppliers, for only too often will it bo found of no more interest to them than the cream-stand on the roadside, and somewhat behind the railway siding This should not be. The factory should be something more to the farmer than a dumping platform for his cream. He should feel that it is working in sympathy with him and for him; and he will reciprocate. To those who have not already opened out on those lines, it may appear that the suggestion means increasing the work, but those who take it up find recreation in it. It puts life into a man to feel that he is building up a business, and especially when he is helping others thereby; and all country businesses are built up most surely by those who understand and work in sympathy with their clients. Certainly the opportunity to occasionally get out amongst the farmers is not always afforded the manager, and here there may bo an oversight on the part of the owner or directors; but the go-ahead manager will usually overcome this, for, when the factory returns begin to show that he is getting hold of the trade, there is not likely to be much opposition to any project to increase it. At the cutset of*this paper, resourceful and forceful were two of the terms used in describing a successful manager’s qualifications; and to such a one there will always come the opportunity to get about among his suppliers when occasion specially calls for it. In conclusion, the very nature of our factory managers’ vocation demands that they should be progressive. It may be safely said that, almost without exception, every manager may have a very decided influence on the output of his factory; and it only remains for each to exercise his faculties in these several directions to practically demonstrate it. PROFITABLE DAIRYING. A WESTLAND FACTORY’S RETURNS. HOKITIKA, September 30. The Little Wanganui Dairy Factory Company at Harihari, South Westland, issued a highly satisfactory report for the yearending August 3L The milk supplied amounted to practically a thousand tons, which produced 104 g tons of cheese, and realised no less than £B4BO. The suppliers received Is 3gd per lb for their butter-fat, and the company also paid 6 per cent, dividend on their capital of £lBlO. a bonus to their staff of £SO, and a contribution of £3O to the Wounded Soldiers’ Fund. The cost of converting the milk to cheese was only |d per lb. 15ISEEI>lA T ft FOR SEX. For 25 years I have bred Jerseys, and like all others, have tackled the subject of controlling sex. No thinking man can doubt for one moment that there is a controlling factor somewhere. If all were left to chance there would be extremes. But the conditions are so well interwoven in the essential laws of life that it seems impossible to separate them. Giving to the damage to cows that came into rank and intense heat wo learned to watch the Herd and take a cow to the stable ns soon as she showed signs of being in heat. Those cows were not bred until nearing the close of heat, believing they were moro certain to conceive when not in a restless, nervous condition. As a result, I secured more females than males, my host year being 27 females and throe males. I would handle my herd in this way oven if I knew it did not affect the sox. T do not believe we will have absolute control of sox-procluction until all breeders

become so honest that they v. ill not sell a male at any price that was not worthy in every way to become a sire, let alone use one himself; that the power of the sire over the progeny is so groat that the survival of the fittest should prevail; and we behold the wisdom of that secret power that allows 19 out of every 20 males to be deprived of their power to beget, where polygamy is no sin.—P. L'., in Hoard’s Dairyman.