MOA DAIRY FACTORY

Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1929, Page 15

MOA DAIRY FACTORY

THE NEW COMPANY OFFICIAL OPENING SHORTLY. AN ENTERPRISING CONCERN. (From Our Own Correspondent.) It is the intention of the directors of the Moa Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, to have the official opening of their new butter factory at Inglewood at noon on Tuesday, October 22, after which a complimentary dinner to the suppliers and their wives will be held in the Town Hall, and a grand dance will follow in the evening. The new factory is probably one of the most up-to-date in the county, and is undoubtedly a great asset to Inglewood. Much praise is due. to the directors, especially the chairman (Mr. R. B. Sutton), who has worked unceasingly in the interests of the company. The new building, which is of brick, is of attractive design, and is a credit not only to . the shareholders, but also to the architects, Messrs L. G. West and Son, of Palmerston North, and the contractors (Messrs Boon Bros., New Plymouth). The cream, which is collected by motor lorries ami brought to the factory, is weighed, then passed into two neutralising vats, and is pumped through a regenerator into a pasteuriser and passed over a large' water cooler on to an expansion cooler into three 1200 gallon glass-lined cream vats. There are three churns. After churning the buttermilk is run into a tiled sump, and pumped, away from th© factory to a private pig farm. The butter is weighed and packed in boxes.by an automatic packer. The, cool chamber has a holding capacity of 1100 boxes, this being the largest chamber in Taranaki.l, . ’The local trade is catered for by the installation of a pounding and wrapping machine. This is indeed a wonderful machine, for it moulds and wraps 60 to. 651 b of butter per minute without the touch of a hand. The butter is put into the machine, and is. there formed into a bar, when it passes into the wrapping portion, where it is cut into pounds and carefully and cleanly wrapped in paper with the Sunflower brand on it, and delivered on a travelling rack at the end. The 14 h.p. boiler produces steam for pasteurising and hot water purposes. The six-ton freezer is chain driven by a 27 h.p. electric motor, and all the factory machinery is also driven by separate electric motors, there being a total of 14. The cream cane are washed by a patent can-washer. The testing room is considered to be one of the most up-to-date in the Dominion. It contains two testing machines, one for the factory purposes, and the other for herdtesting. HISTORY OF THE COMPANY. - z The company is one of the oldest cooperative dairy concerns in New Zealand. For some years there had been a movement to ergot a new and -up-to-date factory, and this has been achieved without making any deductions from the pay-outs. The factory was first built and run about 1884 by a private company comprising Messrs Hy. Brown, W. Marshall and D. Marshall, and several others. The first separator used was an Alexandria, and Mr. W. Marshall wheeled a barrow load of milk along ‘Mr. H. Brown’s old tram fine to the factory to test it. Some of the original vats used in the factory may still be seen down at Brown’s old sawmill. This private concern, however, only lasted a year or two before it failed, and the factory was taken over by Reynolds and Co., of Auckland, who continued until the Moa Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd., was formed in 1895. The following were the first directors: L. McL. Monteath (chairman), J. Coldwell, R. Kenny, D. Todd, T. Morgan, H. Haverbier and J. Knowles. Mr. A. Perry was appointed secretary, Mr, McGowan factory manager, and Messrs Atkinson and Stock auditors. The company issued 4000 £1 shares, 2255 of which were unallotted. The amount paid up on the'allotted shares was £562. The shareholders for the first season received approximately 7 2-3 d per lb for their butter-fat. The amount of butter made during the first year amounted to 123 tons, and this was increased next year ’to 231 tons, the shareholders receiving approximately the same price for it. After the first year’s production the company had over £7OO to pay out in bonus, but ‘ the shareholders unanimous-

ly -decided to forego this in order to build a manager’s house. Production has gradually increased until last season 859 tons were produced from approximately three hundred suppliers. Last seasbn over Is Gjd per lb butter-fat was paid out. To cope with the increasing supply a creamery was erected at r Dudley Road during 1898, and additions and alterations were made to the central factory at Inglewood. At the annual meeting in IS9B Mr. J. Knowles was appointed chairman of directors, and retained that position for four years. During 1899 the company lost the services of Mr. McGowan, the manager, and Mr. A. Shirley was appointed. Two years afterwards Mr. F. McDonald was appointed. During 1901 Mr. A. Perry resigned from the secretaryship, which he had held since the formation of the company, and Mr. W. Percival was appointed. During 1902 the directors found it necessary to erect a creamery at Ratapiko. During this year the amount of butter manufactured was over 395 tons, which showed an increase of 30 tons over the previous season. Mr. H. Haverbier was elected chairman in place of Mr. Knowles, who had resigned during the year,, and Mr, A. Corney was. appointed manager in place of Mr., Me-: Donald. Towards the end of 1905 electric power was installed to drive the machinery which had previously been driven by steam. For 1905 Mr. D. Todd was appointed chairman of directors, and lie retained, the position for the two following when Mr. D. Herlihy was appointed. v During 1908, through some disagreement with the directors, both the manager and secretary resigned, and Mr. James -and Mr. JR.- Buckley were appointed to their.;;.respective positions. In 1911, 414 tons butter were manufactured, which, .was an increase of 50 tons over the previous season, but during the two .following season- tiie production - fell off , , considerably. During 1911 Mr. Herlihy, resigned the chairmanship, Mr. Jones w^is.elected, holding the position for five years, when Mr. Bowler was appointed.,-..1n 1912. Air. James resigned from the’, position-of manager,' and Mr. W. Ross was appointed. He still holds the position. In 1917 the site.,on which the factory stands was purchased, it having previously being a lease from the borough council. Unfortunately for the shareholders, the original lease contained a clause to the effect that when it expired all buildings, fences, etc., on the property became the property of the borough council, and it was therefore necessary for the shareholders to purchase their own buildings. The price paid was £2430. During this year the company purchased their first motorlorry for collecting cream, etc., and this saved a considerable amount in cart-* age.

'During 1918 casein plants were installed at Inglewood, Ratapiko, Kaimata, Bristol Road and Waitui creameries. The curd was said to the New Zealand Casein Company at £4O per ton, with a guarantee of a further 50 per cent, of the net profit. In 1921 Mr. R. B. Sutton was appointed chairman, and still acts in that capacity, and Mr. J. Penn (the present secretary) was appointed in place of Mr. R. Buckley, who resigned. In 1923 the company produced over 502 tons of butter, for which the shareholders received Is 4£d per lb butterfat. During the next few years the output increased considerably, until it has - the present amount. During this year the company decided to go in for home separation, .and this has proved very successful. This necessitated the closing of the various small creameries which the company owned, and all the cream was collected by lorries and brought into the main factory. During 1-928 the general store, which had been -run by the company for a number of years for the benefit of the suppliers, was sold to the Farmers’ Trading -Company. From September, 1926, the Control board came into being until the end of the factory’s financial year in April last, all its butter had been graded “finest.”