MANGATOKI'S DAIRY YEAR

Taranaki Daily News, 11 August 1932, Page 16

MANGATOKI'S DAIRY YEAR

CHEESE OF HIGH GRADE LABORATORY WORK DISCUSSED. SECOND GRADE MILK QUESTIONED. The annual meeting of the Mangatoki Dairy Company was held yesterday, Mr. R. H. Free presiding over an attendance of ..bout 35 shareholders. The auditors’ report stated that the season had again .presented many difficulties and the average market prices for produce would give a return slightly better than that for the previous year. The sound financial position of the company had been maintained. The published figures showed the total costs to f.o.b. as being slightly higher than for the previous season, and there was an increase of nearly 500 tons of cheese, whereas in the previous year the low costs to f.o.b. were influenced by the company manufacturing a greater amount of ‘butter as against cheese. In this year’s account there was also additional provision for depreciation to the extent of £'2so. The costs under the control of the manager showed a reduction as against the .previous year. For the 1931-32 season the butter-fat production showed a decrease of 16,461 pounds, and the average test shows an advance of .044 per cent. The chairman made reference to the death of the general manager, Mr. G. W. Wood, during the’ year. He said that during the two and a-half years Mr. Wood had been with the company he had gained the esteem of all the suppliers, and his ability as a . cheesemaker was widely recognised. His death was a loss to the whole Industry. A motion of condolence was. carried.

The chairman also extended sympathy with Mr. A. C. Pease, who had been laid aside with illness, and also Mr. George (Preece, who had. had to enter hospital. The chairman added an expression of sympathy with the secretary on the illness of Mrs. Douglass and wished her •a speedy recovery. The chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet said that although prices had continued at a low level the market had remained more stable than in the previous season and the return had been 51 per cent, higher,. although production had decreased owing to the dry autumn by 1 per cent. The market opened at 65s and fell gradually till Christmas, when it touched 565. From then till February an improvement took place, 64s being reached. The price, remained stable till the end of April, after which it fell to 54s and rose again to 60s. The average return for consigned cheese was 58s Old. The balance of the output was sold at'fid per lb f.0.b., and the sale had been of advantage to suppliers. .SECOND ON GRADING LIST, Strict .attention had been paid to quality and of 45 factories shipping through Patea the Mangatoki Company’s branches had; secured the following places: Mangatoki, 92.276, second; Mahoe, 92.088, seventh; Kaponga, 91.76, sixteenth; Matapu, 01.756, seventeenth. The percentage of finest at each branch was Mangatoki 44, Alahoe 24.8, Kaponga 24.4, Matapu 24. The chairman congratulated the Mangatoki manager, Mr. F. W. Seamark, on his achievement. The secretary then read numerous reports from London agents referring to the high quality of Mangatoki. cheese. Continuing, the chairman said that economical running had received careful consideration. Over 10 years costs to f.o.b. per lb butter-fat showed a redaction of over'so per cent., being 2.98 d as against 6d, while manufacturing costs to factory had fallen from 3.41 d to 1.691 d. Faced with the problem of providing extra vats at Mangatoki, they had extended the making room, giving ample accommodation for 10 vats. A tiled whey drain had been .put in and the packing space enlarged. This should give ample room for any likely inciease in supply. The directors were prepared to encourage top-dressing in order to keep the factory working at full capacity and would purchase super and super (mixtures and spread the repayment over the summer months. Many farmers were prevented from top-dressing on account of immediate expense, and the scheme was evolved to encourage production by spreading the payments as far as possible. It was hoped that many farmers would take advantage, of the scheme. The buildings were being painted under 10a scheme. SUPPORT OF RENNET INDUSTRY. Referring to bobby calves, the chairman said that he realised that the return from these was small, but he wished to stress the value to the industry of the Rennet Company, which was dependent upon bobby calves for raw material. He urged the importance of the veils remaining in New Zealand. The Rennet Company had contracted to take all veils from Patea works, and it was necessary to the life of the Rennet Company that sufficient raw material should be available. The reduced price of rennet brought about by the operations of the Eltham concern had been a contributing factor in reducing manufacturing costs. The chairman congratulated the shareholders on the satisfactory balancesheet and recorded appreciation of the assistance of the directors, secretary and staff.

Mr. O. E. McGuinness asked why the contingent liability to the National Dairy Association 'had increased from £420 to £sl's.

The secretary stated that the former figure was a liability under a promissory note, but a reconstruction was arranged, each company taking up so many shares and the latter figure represented Mangatoki’s liability as .a shareholder. Only £147 had been paid up. Mr. McGuinness asked if the N.D.A. issued a balance-sheet which was available for suppliers to inspect. The chairman said that the company did business with the N.D.A. and the latter had shown a profit on the year. Mr. C. E. Nicholas asked why they needed both N.D.A. and Control Board. The secretary stated that the N.D.A. was chiefly a trading concern and it had been suggested that it should abandon any say in the policies of the industry and become solely a trading concern. A motion to that effect, however, had been defeated at the Palmerston North conference. Mr. Astbury: How was it the motion was defeated at Palmerston North when all the com mon-sen se of the industry was there? Mr. McCormack said that the downfall of the Mangatoki remit was that the voting power was taken away from suppliers and given to the factories. RAILWAY FREIGHT POLICY. Mentioning railway freights, Mr. Marx •said that it had been the directors’ policy to send by rail, whereas most companies sent by road. This opened up a big question of railway policy and he doubted whether it was wise to keep freights high. He believed that if rail charges were lower the Government

would take most of the business from the roads., The policy of lower passenger rates had been productive of good business and the post office was also getting back business by lower postage rates.

The chairman said that the Railway Board, had done good work and already a reduction had been obtained. He considered that freight was now on a more reasonable basis.

Air. Willis suggested building a curing room at Matapu. This would save cartage to Alangatoki when they were right alongside the railway. Building was now fairly cheap. The chairman: Is the railway going to stay there? Mr. Willis: Yes. The chairman said-lie would like to see a curing room at each branch factory, but in the meantime they had plenty of acommodation. Air. Astbury: Do you think the laboratory is any good to the Alangatoki dairy factory ? The chairman: We have had a fair amount of advantage from it. The chairman mentioned the testing of milk samples, water testing and other services and said he would be very sorry to see the laboratory go out. Mr. Astbury asked if Massey College would not serve the purpose. He considered that microscopic tests could be carried /out by the manager, who could •also take the curd test, and this was the most practical'test. “Why have we got to subscribe to the Hawera ‘laboratory to keep a man in a job when we get nothing coming from it?” asked Air. Astbury. “The directors think they have to get these new things and then it becomes hard to get rid of them. I don’t think Mangatoki gets 20s in the £ for the money spent on the laboratory and you cannot say so.” MANAGER VALUES SCIENCE. The general manager (Air. J. L. Taylor) was asked to give his views and he replied that he considered ft necessary at these times to go into the scientific side of the industry. He mentioned various benefits he had received while at Lowgarth in testing samples for casein and water. He considered. it very necessary to have the scientific branch to help the management. Mr. T. R. Anderson held that it would be a retrograde step to do away with the laboratory. Air. Taylor was now able to get around the factories instead of spending his time dver a •microscope, as he would be. if- asked to do this testing. Mr. Astbury: If the laboratory cannot tell us why our milk is secondgrade we are not getting a quid pro quo. Some of our best milk has been graded second and this is a matter of great concern to the supplier 'Second grade milk is not bad. It can be used and made into cheese that is finest. The scientist lands us with his ideas, but how are we going to improve it if we don’t know how? 'The manager is not paid to test with the microscope but to make milk into cheese, and he is doing it; he is turning second grade milk into finest cheese.

The chairman: We don’t want second grade milk. On every occasion we have had second grade it has been remedied ■and it would be a retrograde step to do without the scientific side.

The dairy instructor, Mr. A. L. Picard, asked to give his views, said he regarded the curd test as the best for cheese. The microscope did not show flavours due' to turnips or swedes, but these would be revealed in the curd test. In a curd test watered milk would give a weakbodied curd. If there was a gassy curd it would be due to dirty machines. He always maintained that they needed a curd test and there was no need to be afraid of this test. The cleanliness of the sheds and machines now compared favourably with the editions of years ago. Mr. S. Morgan said that 11 suppliers of the best milk were given second grade, and the manager said he could not understand it.

Mr. Taylor: It is well known that in dry seasons there is a ladk of casein in the milk, and that gives a lot of trouble with a weak-bodied curd.

Mr. Astbury said he was going to •move a motion. The chairman said that they were bound to contribute to the laboratory for another two years. Mr. Astbury: Well, this discussion has liot done any harm. 7 The report and foalancecheet was adopted. There being no other nominations the retiring directors, Messrs R. H. Free, J. A. Kemp and R. J. McCormack, were re-elected.

Messrs Walkley, Cameron and Laurence were re-elected auditors. The chairman’s honorarium and directors’ fees were fixed as before.

In reply to Mr. Astbury the chairman said that there would foe no differential payments for milk. The chairman asked for support for the ‘Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, and a number of suppliers became members. On Mr. Astbury’si motion a vote of ■thanks was given the chairman, directors and staff.

At a meeting of directors Mr, Free was elected chairman and Mr. J. P. Marx deputy-chairman.