LONDON DAIRY AWARDS

Southland Times, Issue 23180, 22 April 1937, Page 6

LONDON DAIRY AWARDS

DRUMMOND’S WIN CELEBRATED BLEDISLOE CUP PRESENTED TO MANAGER Suppliers to the Drummond cooperative dairy factory and residents of the district last evening celebrated the success of the manager of the factory (Mr A. J. Linklater) at the recent London Dairy Show. Mr Linklater won the Empire Bledisloe Cup, the New Zealand Bledisloe Cup, the Hansen Silver Cup and several medals, and the speakers throughout the evening were enthusiastic in their praise of the factory’s achievement. The main speakers were Messrs W. M. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division, and T. C. Brash, secretary to the New Zealand Dairy Board, both of whom spoke of the progress of the industry and of the vital importance to its continued success of the fullest possible co-operation between suppliers, directors and factory staffs. . The chairman of directors (Mr W. Yountf) presided over an attendance that filled the hall to overflowing and which included a number of Government dairy officials and managers of other factories. The Bedisloe Cup was presented to Mr Linklater by Mr Brash. “Your manager should be highly proud of his performance, he said after detailing the trophies that went with the championship award. 1 would tender my congratulations, too, to the directors and suppliers of the company, for no manager can do his best work unless he is in close and loyal co-operation with his directors and unless there is among the suppliers a desire to deliver a first-class raw material. A Natural Expectation

“If you look at the results of the competitions at the London Dairy Show during past years, you will find that practically all the successes came to the cheese factories of Otago and Southland, mainly Southland,’i he went on. . “And we naturally expect these districts to lead in this great dairy industry, because they led in its early years. When I went north 40 years ago, after having spent six years in a factory on the Taieri, and a year in the Wyndham factory, I found that over 90 per cent, of the men who were managing dairy factories had been trained in Southland and Otago. There have been changes since then —changes in processes of manufacture, great changes in the quality produced, changes in marketing, and also many changes in personnel.” In introducing Mr Singleton, the chairman said he was the man who was giving the orders to the dairy division. “We must deal lightly with him,” he remarked, humorously. “We have had lots of arguments with him, but we respect and admire him.” (Applause.) Mr Singleton endorsed Mr Brash s congratulations to the manager, staff, directors and suppliers to the Drummond factory. The manufacture of cheese was inaugurated in Southland, he said, the earliest factory being Edendale, which was established in 1882. Drummond was established in 1907, and there had been steady expansion in the number of factories until 1927, when the total was 499. From 1927 until the end of last year, there had been a reduction of 10 per cent, in the number of factories registered. Better means of transport and modern methods of manufacture were responsible for a reduction to 437, although the total production was increased in that time by 50 per cent. Mr Singleton enlarged on the part played by Southland in- the development of the industry in New Zealand, quoting a number of Southland men who had done honour to high positions in the North Island, he said. Improvement of Grading

“We have always had complaints of foreign matter in our cheese,” he said. “We still get them periodically. The most common case is the breaking of a thermometer in the vat, but there are other cases that are just caused by carelessness.” Mr Singleton developed this theme humourously. “This season there has been an improvement in the grading points of our butter and cheese,” he went on. “There has been more finest grade butter and cheese and less second grade. I do feel that the differential prices that the Marketing Department is paying for quality is a powerful influence. I am satisfied that they are responsible for this improvement.”. In the absence of Mr G. A. Hamilton, Southland provincial president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, and Mr Walter Clark, president of the Southland A. and P. Association, Mr A. L. Adamson, secretary to both bodies, extended their congratulations to Mr Linklater, his staff, and the directors and suppliers. The Western District was building up a wonderful record in this competition, he said. “The dairy industry is still growing, and it is becoming more necessary than ever to produce top quality,” he said. “That is where the value of this competition comes in.” The chairman of the South Island Dairy Association (Mr John Smith) expressed the congratulations of the association. It was very pleasing indeed that these honours should be coming again to the Western District of Southland, he said. “It seems to be left to me to express the credit that is due to the all-important end of the industry, the producing end,” he said. “All honour to the man who has doubled the production of his herd. He is efficient and progressive.” Speaking briefly of the improvement in the conditions under which the industry was being carried on, Mr Smith said that there was a tendency to scoff at the regulations and restrictions. “But how many of us would like to go back to the conditions of 45 years ago?” he asked. “We have plenty of regulations, but I believe they are all for the good. Competition is certainly becoming keener, and New Zealand has to look to its laurels on the Home market. The producers have their part to do, and it is up to them to see that they shoulder their responsibility.” Need For Co-operation The system and conditions of exhibition at the London Dairy Show were explained bv Mr M. R. Tennet, chief dairy grader at Bluff. The wish was often expressed that more of the export cheese was of the same class as that sent Home to this show, he said. It could be done. Co-operation right through the industry was necessary. The producer had his duty, to give the factory the best quality raw material, and factory directors had their job, to give their staffs every facility to produc a first grade article all the time. “We must keep our quality up and improve it where we can,” he concluded, “and I repeat that co-operation is the secret of success in this business perhaps more than in most others.” Mr A. T. Gulliver, Government grader, spoke in the same terms and both he and Mr Tennent expressed the opinion that the Drummond suppliers were fortunate in having a manager of the calibre of Mr Linklater. The congratulations of the different speakers were acknowledged by Mr Linklater who was loudly applauded. He said that it was not possible to

centre the honours of winning a competition such as this in one man. “Good milk and full co-operation between the supplier, the directors and the staff are essential to a manager’s success,” he said, “and I wish to express my thanks to the directors, suppliers and members of my staff for the assistance and encouragement that I was given.” (Applause.) A vote of thanks to the performers of the evening and to the visiting speakers was moved by Mr John Fisher. He, too, emphasized the importance of co-operation in the working of a dairy factory. “Mr Linklater, his suppliers and his staff have brought distinction to this part of the province, and we are very proud of the honour,” he added. (Applause.) The items of the evening were contributed by Misses Barker and Cowan (pianoforte duet), Mr and Mrs Dykes (vocal duet), Mrs R. Lindsay, Messrs M. Taylor and Hicks (vocal solos), Miss S. Kennard (recitation), and Misses M. Findlay, F. Morton and S. Kennard (vocal trios). After supper had been served in the hall, the remainder of the evening was devoted to dancing.