KIA ORA DAIRY COMPANY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11249, 14 April 1908, Page 5

KIA ORA DAIRY COMPANY.

MEETING, OP . SHAREHOLDERS,

At the invitation of the Directors of the Kia Ora Daiiy Company a large number of shareholders «Irtd suppliers met last -evening in the new public ■! hall at Waerenga,-a-hika. . ' The Chairman of the Company, Mr J: A. Caesar, presided, and in his opening address referred to '/• the various rumors , prejudicial to the • Company which had been industriously/ circulated of late. Mbsfcof these he -characterised as too abusive to' require refutation. As to the others he , felt certain that after the explanation to be given, share- ■ holders would be satisfied that the Directors had done their very .'-., he_t> In thp iriterests of the Company! during -.a very trying season, both as to supply ;i of milk and disposal of butter/owing; to extreme ■fluctuations iri prices. Where a supplier liad any real grievance, either as to the tests Ygi ven -by the manager, or; as to anything, .else; the Director's always had, and always would,' ■enqriii*e ! into any complaint in writing as provided^ in the by-laws, '.. and do o tlieitY best. to remedy it, Where, instead of doing this, o shareholders left the Company and circulated false and injurious rumors abprit it, he 'thought it was thine sortie action should, be taken. He hoped i the meeting before they separated would i give an expression Pf opinion, as to whether the? by-laws should, be amended so as to enable the Directors to /deal more stringently in : cases .of this kind, i ; An opportunity would be given later toi put questions or get any explanation re. quired.. /Y o ! v/oX: -\ -.'- .y "■'' V , The Ghairrtian .called upon Mr A. P. Matthews, to.; address the meeting/Before doing so; Mr. Matthews asked the secretary to give some figures with reference to the forking of the Compainy during the seven nionths of this season. These showed that during the first months, pf the season .there \yas ia large increase in the supply, of milk . as 'compared with corresponding moriths of last season. While the supply had fallen off during the dry months, it had con)e upagain in March. -../The tests, which had gone down/during the dry, months, had gone up again, and the. average test during February and .March was actually higher than during the same months! last year. „, Had the . Reason been a riorriial one' the - present year would haVe been the best the Company had ever had, ■ i

Mr Matthews said that since his appointment as Director lie had made it his business to go carefully, into the 1 working of the Company, and could: assure them that he had always found' his co-Directors most attentive to their duties and doing .their, best in the \nterests of the shareholders. In keeping a reserve in hand, and not paying tut everything from month to month they were . acting very wisely. , He was perfectly certain there was a great future before the Company, and that suppliers had a mine of wealth in it if they would only stick together, , and by improving their herds and attention to their stock,: getting the best possible, results out of it. He had just returned from a trip in tho South Island, and could assure them that there was no land equal to what we had here for dairying. A number of questions were asked arid satisfactory explanations given. Refreshments were handed, round during the evening, and a vote of Ythanks to the Directors for calling them together to discuss matters brought a very harmonious, meeting to /a, close. '* '