DAIRYMEN IN CONFERENCE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 105, 24 June 1911, Page 6

DAIRYMEN IN CONFERENCE.

N AT f ONA L A SSOCIATION ; MEETING. The dairymen’s conference, opened at Palmerston North on Wednesday, w hen Hie seventeenth annual meeting of the National Dairy Association of New Zealand, Limited, was begun in the A. and P. Association’s lecture hall. . PRESIDENT’S REVIEW. A glance at the past season’s operations was talcen by the president in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet. Ho remarked that the turnover had been larger than ever, and the profit resulting from, the year’s working was most satisfactory. The butter market during the season had been rather disappointing, as the high prices expected at the beginning had not been realised; Many reasons had been suggested for this failure to come up to expectations, one being that the British public' had just awakened to the fact that it was eating butter eight to ten weeks‘old, as a result of the advertising done. But ho did not think there was much in that. (Hear, hear.) If might he that, the overrun resulting from the use of the combined churn had affected the market by reason of the little extra moisture left in the butter not suiting markets quite as well as the drier product of previous years. The principal cause of, the’,drop in prices was probably the larger exportations from Australia, whore they had had a splendid season, and an output of something like I t,.!'Si tons more than former years, file prices had not. fluctuated very much, but there had been a steady drop from the opening rate of 112 s in November. The average had not been much over lUtis. A number of complaints had boon received of butter not opening up so well on the Home market as it should, hut this was usually the case when lower prices ruled. All the same, there might he something in the complaints. He referred with satisfaction to the appointment pi Government experts Co watch the interests of producers at the market end. Grading had been higher this season than, before. The cheese market had hoe.n in a very satisfactory condition, the Now Zealand product having got a good name for itself, and comparing very favourably .with- the Canadian make. It seemed to him that if reciprocity between the United States and Canada was consummated, the former, country would absorb a groat proportion of Canadian cheese, thus causing a demand for the New Zealand product in the British market. He thought a big opening would he given in this way. The increase of twentytwo in the Association’s membership during the year indicated good progress. An office had been opened at Auckland, and ho believed that before long they would ho able to draw the whole of ‘ the North Island into one strong Association. It was satisfactory to note that the Association had been aide to obtain a reduction in the freezing rate. It was now sJxl, which would compare

Very favourably with that ruling anywhere else, 'l ucre was a possibility .of freezing works being established near Wellington harbour, which would •nark a very satisfactory advance. Vac Association had also taken up marine insurance, and had been able lb save about £7OO to the thirty-five factories which had participated in the scheme. General I v speaking, he claimed that the Association was doing everything to further and safegin rd the interests of its members m every possible way. Ainonjg oilier -..flings it had done much itpuccUmg, some 1700 tons of manure alone bcobtained in this manner. It was, however, working on a basis whic.i was hardly satisfactory, owing to i(s lack of capital. On ou'o occasion lie ’■ad to give ii personal guarantee ol £IOOO to finance an operation. Altogether there were many ways in which the Association could benefit its members if they would pull together. (Hear, ’near.) Mr Welsh (Dalcfiold) said ho “would (ike to know if the executive had any scheme to offer for tTic improvement oi the Association’s finances, it appeared to him that tho Association was non working on the balances duo to various factories. He know of several which had been kept out of their surpluses for a long time. This was a very undesirable position, and he hoped the executive would evolve some plan for improving it. In tho case of Ids own factory the payments for live cr six shipments had liecn withheld. This was most unsatisfactory, for it in nun LUat some factories were obtaining benefit from the Home opera- • tioas oven though they were not cnciiu’d to it.

‘ 'I he position is,” said tho Chairman “that there have been no surpluses at all so far as butter factories au; concerned.” He added that tho executive had prepared a scheme fm riio nnpjnvoment of tho finances. Hie suggc-sU'Hi was tnat factories should pu: iu a |;ro;mssoiy note for £lO for every 106 tons of cutter and one for t‘s for every 100 tons of cheese. Some of the larger factories had now got a [,r imssory note for £-30 and others ranging iiom £lO to £3O. Ji the sell. m e wore carried out they would be able- to inisc their finances to about £ll.OO If anything had been helu back during the season it was by certain firms to meet overdraws by ocnei i'actoi ies, v.

'Mr Hubbaid (Thames Valley) aske I for i’lfi.riiiaiion respecting bin. Auckland office, which ho claimed was s nf-supporting He also sought folk * r light i n Uic new scheme for financing the Association, urging that sooner or later it would have to bo i’oi iiicd into a limited liability con•orn: at any rate, tue indenting portifiii > f the business. ’Tito’ Chairman mgod that (lie giving of promissory notes would not increase tho liability of members, but would certainly make tlie financial position more stable. Tp another questioner he said lie did not see -how any- force could be u6ed to induce members to give promissory notes. Mr Adiam said that tho Wairarap.i factories would not stand the present pcsKion much longer. If factories vriiu-L did i.ofc take part in tho obiigatic nr wen, to get benefit from the, aei ion, of those who did, the Waiarapa facto-ies would “thrown out.” Replying to a number of questions, tiso secretary, Mr. J. G. Harkncss. said that the Association was taking ib-obueiy all risks over the-insur-ances light fioni the factory to the Home market. Ho considered that the executive deserved great credit for insuiiug at 13s 6d, which covered all cringes. .Mr. Mark (Mangatainoka) said he did not think the principle of using piomissory notes would over lio satisfactory in operation so long as indenting was continued. He thought some scheme should be devised by widely those benefiting in a specific nay should contribute accordingly. Mr. Collis (Kairanga) expressed his belief that tho only way out of the difficulty was to turn the Association into a joint stock cornpan. Iho reply of the Chairman was that very great trouble would he experienced m getting people to take •P shares. He thought they could continue to work on credit very well for the present. The motion for adoption of the report and balance-sheet was carried without dissent.