DAIRY FACTORIES.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12441, 6 September 1933, Page 2

DAIRY FACTORIES.

WAGES AGREEMENT. When the question of costs was bein.r discussed by the WoodviUe Dairy Company’s suppliers, the chairman said there were some items it would be impossible to reduce further. The Employers’ Association, representing the companies, had met the representatives ot the Factory Managers’ Association during th« year when a 22 per cent, drop in wages had been decided upon. The companies were in honour bound to keep this agreement and it was hoped I to keep things running smoothly. The assistants were on a scheduled rate, and the same applied to them. Mr Page referred to the average test of the milk being received at the Woodville factory and quoted figures to show that with a lower test, a neighbouring factory had paid out 3d more for every 10 gallons of milk'. He thought the figures illuminating and showing how high-testing milk was not desirable iffy cheese. Further, the same neighbouring factory had made more cheese per lb of butter-fat. The tests in each were 4.51 (Woodville) and 4.41 (neighbouring factory). Mr Page also quoted other interesting comparisons within the _ M oodville company. He said that in 1924 the percentage that the farmer re- ! oived of the gross sales when but-ter-fat was Is 6d, was 7.48, whereas last year With butter-fat at 9.3 d, the farmer onlv received 64 per cent, of gross sales. One of the chief causes was the increase in the percentage of wages which had risen from 3.4 per cent. Not only was the farmer not getting the price for his produce, but he was also not getting the percentage out of it. Even the Dairy Board was getting a bigger dip into the farmers’ pockets. The chairman explained that costs had been brought down to bedrock and very little more could be saved in that direction. Mr Page said he realised the remedy was outside of the control of