INCREASED PRODUCTION

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1933, Page 7

INCREASED PRODUCTION

BELL BLOCK’S RECORD YEAR. ANNUAL MEETIN G OF SUPPLIERS. Record production was reported at the 37th annual meeting of the Bell Block Dairy Company last night. Mr. L. J. Rundle, chairman of directors, presided. A hundred suppliers were present.' The annual report recorded an increase of 23,0901 b. of butter-fat. The quantities and averages for the year were:— Cheese-making: Milk, • Bell Block 8,149,3741 b., Hillsborough 3,658,4001 b., total 11,807,7741 b.; butter-fat, 367,7841 b., 167,006 lb., 534,7901 b.; cheese made, 936,2501 b., 415,8001 b., 1,352,0501 b.; average test 4.51, 4.56, 4.52; cheese made (factory weights), Bell Block 417 tons 19 cwt. 42 lbs., Hills-, borough 185 tons 12 cwt. 56 lbs., total 603 tons 11 cwt. 98 lbs.; whey butter, 16 tons 4 cwt. 76 lbs. Butter-making: Bell Block, milk 435,5851 b., butter-fat 22,0051 b.; average test 5.05; Hillsborough, milk 133,2451 b., butterfat 70811 b., average test 5.35; cream, finest, 677,3161 b., butter-fat 272,5471 b., average test 40.2; cream, first grade, 31,6871 b., butter-fat 12,3651 b., average test 39; cream, second grade, 52341 b., buttei'-fat 1981 b., average test 37.8; totals,. nulk 568,9301 b., cream 709,52641 b., butter-fat 314,1961 b., butter 173 tons 2 cwt. 11 lbs. Tire total milk for cheese and butter was 12,376,7041 b., an increase of .415.6041 b. and the total butter-fat 848,9681 b., an increase of 23,0901 b. The average grades were: Bell Block cheese, 92.347; Hillsborough cheese 91.844; creamery butter, 93.592; whey butter, 89.402. ' « After £734 6s 7d was written off for depreciation the profit and loss, account showed a credit balance of £6099 15s IQd. Of that amount £4203 7s 3d was to the credit of cheese suppliers and £1896 8s 7d to butter suppliers. The directors recommended the payment of a dividend of 5 per cent, on share capital to June 30, 1933, a payment of 3d per lb. of but-ter-fat supplied for cheese-making from December 1 to April 30, and a payment of 2 l-8d per lb. of butter-fat supplied for butter-making from November 1 t'q April 30. Including the interest on share capital the payment would be equal to an average payment of 9.95 d for cheese-making and 9.12 d for buttermaking. As all butter and cheese had been sold that was a final payment., _ 4 The cost of manufacture and putting produce f.o.b. ocean steamer was: Cheese 2.26 d per lb butter-fat; butter, 1.61 d per lb. of butter-fat or I.SQd per lb of butter; average cost of cheese and butter/ 2.02 d per lb of butter-fat; depreciation ,20d; water supply, .lid; levy, .04d. Suppliers were to be congratulated, on the continued increase in production, said the chairman. There were offers to purchase butter at 104 d f.o.b. or possibly a little more for early shipments. The company’s increases in cheese and blitter had been proportionate, Mr. Rundle said. The new churn was doing excellent work, no less than 96 per cent, being finest. That he considered very satisfactory as during June and July particularly it was practically impossible to manufacture 100 per cent, ot finest butter. . ■, The butter in store in Britain could be used in four weeks. The imports of butter last year amounted to 450,000 tons, the annual increase in the previous two years being 40.000 tons. It was apparent the people were consuming more butter; an additional pound per annum . pei capita consumption meant an additional 35.000 tons per annum. The quality of Bell Block produce. Mr. Rundle said, was very satisfactory. With butter Bell Block graded thirteenth of 47 factories grading at Moturoa, while with cheese Bell Block was seventh and Hillsborough sixteenth of 53 factories. That was meritorious in view of the difficult weather conditions experienced. At Bell Block 45 per cent, of the cheese had been finest and at Hillsborough 21

per cent. The quality of the cheese generally had much improved during the past three or four years. ■ The Tooley Street agents, continued the chairman, had been responsible for exploiting the trade on the west coast of Britain. This year more than 23 per cent, of the New Zealand cheese was shipped to the west coast, while the Bell Block factory had shipped half its output there with satisfactory results. The directors had decided to grade milk three times in the ten-day period and the payment would be made according to the grade of the milk at each testing. Thus if the milk graded first once and second twice, one-third of the ten days’ milk would be paid for as first grade and the other two-thirds as second grade. , , Mr. Rundle regretted that steps naa not been taken to stop the waxing of cheese. Reviewing the balance-sheet, the chairman said the directors had departed from the practice of spreading the final payment evenly over the season s butter-fat, as it was considered more equitable to make the payments on the months in which the lowest advances were made. Had the surplus been distributed evenly over the season it would have been equivalent to 1.65 d per pound butter-fat on the cheese and 1.44 d on the butter. Plant had been increased to the extent of £lOOO, making for more efficient and economic working. . He thanked his co-directors for their co-operation, the manager (Mr. Thompson), the secretary (Mr. R. Pepperell) and the staff for their assistance, a co-ordination that had enabled th? company to come through a difficult y There were three nominations for the two vacancies on the directorate caused by the retirement of Messrs. J. S. Jones and C. Styles. The election resulted m the return of Messrs. Styles and G. R. Bowman. Mr. A. J. Tunbridge was re,elected auditor at the same fee as-last y The chairman was voted an honorarium of £75 less 10 per cent. A vote of thanks was accorded the retiring director, Mr. Jones. • The directors were voted £1 per meetinVotes of thanks were accorded th? manager, the branch manager (Mr. P. Briggs), the secretary and the staff. The chairman remarked that next year with milk grading their task would be a more difficult one. Supper was served by Mesdames L. J. Rundle. W. Ogle. C. Styles, J. S. Jones, J. Hall. L. Marsh. J. Thompson and Miss Hall. They were accorded a vote of thanks.