SOUTHLAND COOL STORES

Southland Times, Issue 24599, 22 November 1941, Page 3

SOUTHLAND COOL STORES

Company’s Progress During Year There were more than 20 shareholders present at the annual meeting o the Southland Cool Stores, Ltd., which was held at Bluff yesterday. The chairman of directors (Mr John Dunlop) The annual report stated that storage charges had been kept at a most reasonable level. The amount collected, had been £15,268, and the net profat, after providing for depreciation amounting to £3194, had been £lO4O, which was considered satisfactory. The cheese received into store had totalled 167,573 crates, an increase of 14,824 on the previous year’s figures. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, Mr Dunlop described the additions to the stores and the new appurtenances installed. The stores had been originally built for cheese and butter, he said, but the new stores had been constructed so that all the rooms could be used either for the freezing or cooling of all classes of produce, including meat. The storage space was now sufficient for 110,000 crates of cheese (which was two-thirds of the annual output of the province), 85,380 boxes of butter, 5000 cases of fish and a large quantity of meat and sundries. DUMPING OF APPLES Speaking about the dumping of apples from the stores, about which there had been a certain amount of comment in the Press, Mr Dunlop said it was stated that no information could be obtained from the officers in charge. He maintained that it would not be proper to divulge any information about produce held in the stores for different growers. The apples belonged to the Government and those who grew the apples appreciated what the Government had done for them. They had received 5/9 a case, and good apples could still be bought retail at 6/- a case. The engineer (Mr Shelldrake) had been congratulated by the Government for the efficiency he had displayed in the supervision of the storage of apples. Mr Dunlop thanked the directors and staff for the support received from them during the year. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. DIRECTORS ELECTED There was an election for three vacancies in the directorate and the three retiring directors, Messrs A. W. Clark, John Fisher and A. J. Townley, were re-elected. The unsuccessful candidate was Mr W. Y. Dickie. Mr Dunlop was reappointed chairman.

In the afternoon the new stores were inspected and interesting demonstrations were given by the staff. The flooding system which, it was shown, is being used for refrigeration, will effect a saving in electricity. With the extra storage the power account has increased by only 25 per cent. Laboursaving devices in electric elevators, roller conveyors, and crate lifts were shown in action. An interesting machine was the ozonator which purefies the air in the rooms, clearing up taint and preventing mould growth on cheese. Mr Dunlop said it was considered that it would also retard growth of mould on cheese already affected. On some cheese received from factories mould had already started to form, he said. OTAGO PRODUCE MARKETS PAST SEASON’S WHEAT NOW FINISHED (P.A.) DUNEDIN, November 21. The marketing of the past season’s wheat is now finished and it is expected that the marketing committee will shortly pay the additional 3d a bushel due to growers. The weather continues very broken and it is stated that some districts have experienced the worst growing period for many years. The fowl wheat market is unchanged. Limited supplies only are now available. The wholesale price of the best quality remains unchanged at 6/a bushel, sacks extra, for quantity with small lots selling ex store at 6/6 to 6/9 a bushel.

There is practically no business passing in oats; on the other hand supplies are not plentiful. Odd sales have been made to the North Island of undergrade lines at 3/9 to 4/3 a bushel f.o.b.s.i. These are not suitable for milling. Supplies of chaff are equal to the requirements, but the demand i§ on the slow side. The North Island is being supplied with chaff from Canterbury and Blenheim at £5/15/- to £6 a ton, f.0.b., sacks in. This price is well below that ruling locally, where the quotation is £5/15/- a ton, sacks extra, ex truck.

The supply of old potatoes is practically finished for the season with high prices ruling for any lots available. New potatoes are now increasing in supply, but the season is considerably later t’.an usual.

The volume of business passing in seeds has been more or less restricted during the week both in the wholesale and retail markets. The break in the weather has stopped deliveries to the country and there has also been a lull in the demand for seeds for export. The latter position has probably been brought about by the fact that the prices of all varieties of seeds have now been fixed by the British Government. Until details of this arrangement are known few export sales are likely to be made. Apart from this the quantity of seed available for export is limited. Prices for all lines of seeds are firm. Cowgrass seed has come more into prominence and some sales have been made for export.

HIGH PRICE OF POTATOES (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 21. There is so little business in the grain and produce markets that trade is almost at a standstill. Potatoes are almost unprocurable throughout Canterbury and seed potatoes are reported to have been sold for table use. The price to any grower who has table potatoes left is about £2O a ton. Stocks of most other lines are almost as bare as those of potatoes. The new season, which will not begin until about the end of January, will open to almost bare boards. Not for many years has there been such a complete clean up of stocks in most lines.