JOLL COMPANY’S YEAR

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1933, Page 11

JOLL COMPANY’S YEAR

10D PAYMENT FOR SEASON PRODUCTION REACHES 4246 TONS. INCREASE OF OVER 13 PER CENT. • The twenty-fifth annual meeting of the T. L. Joll Co-operative Dairy Company Ltd. was held at Kapuni yesterday. Mr. A. C. Johnstone presided over a large attendance of shareholders. • The report stated: “The appropriation account shows that the final realisation of.' produce for the year ended June 30, 1932, exceeded the estimate by £7OBl. This sum enabled the directors to make a final payment for the 1931-32' season of 12Jd per lb of butter-fat. “The balance for distribution in the appropriation account at date amounts to £18,809 and, after provision is made for interest at 4 per cent, on shares that have been fully paid for one year, this will bring the average payment to 9.85 d per lb of butter-fat Produce stocks have been valued conservatively . and should realisations exceed the estimate further payments will be made' to suppliers. The profit on the bulk store and the garage, amounting to £2lO, has been placed to reserve. “Shortly after last annual meeting the company suffered the loss of the valued services-of the late "Mr. Andrew Lees, who had been secretary since its foundation. Mr. M. C. Mclntyre, Norsewood, was appointed in his place. The directors regret, too, that, they have lost the services of their co-director, the late Mr. J. N. Crocker, and place on record their appreciation of his valuable co-operation on the board.” _ Factory statistics, with the previous year’s figures in. parentheses, are:— Total milk received, 90,163,3051 b (80,541,1311 b); butter-fat, 8,902,6181 b (3,508,8651 b average test, 4.328 (4.356); total charges to f.o.b. at per lb butter-fat, 2.57 d (2.88 d ' Used for cheese-making: Milk, 87,255,■3161 b (77,126,0891 b butter-fat, 3,756,7561 b ■(3,339,7971b); average test, 4.305 (4.33); ‘ cheese made (nett sale weight), 9,512,533 lb (8,362,3501 b Used for butter-making: Milk, 2,907,9891 b (3,415,0421 b average test, 5.01 (4.95); 'butter-fat, 145,8621 b (169,0681 b butterfat from home separated cream, 11,3131 b (14,8621 b butter made, 18g r osolb (219,6371 b). NEW SECRETARY. “After the death of Mr. Lees,” Mr. Johnstone said, “we asked our auditor, Mr. Lennon, to become acting-secretary. ' This he did, stipulating that he must have an auditor and Mr. T. F. .McKenzie was 'appointed to this position during the three months the secretaryship was vacant. Mr. M. C. Mclntyre, Norsewood, was appointed secretary, and it ' gives me . the greatest pleasure in saying that our choice was justified. He has given entire satisfaction since the firs* day he took hold. One *of ..the principal features, of .the past season was the heavy increase in supply, amounting to 13.75 per cent., Mr. Johnstone said. A further payment on September 20 ■would bring the total to lOd for the past season. Mr. Johnstone added that the payment mentioned in the balance-sheet was an actual payment and was made after interest on shares was provided. The interest on shares was reduced from 5 per cent, to 4 per cent. The directors considered they were justified in that .because the bank rate charged had fallen, the interest allowed on deposits falling in sympathy. Unsold produce was taken into stock pt 5d per lb cheese. There were 9000 crates afloat and the estimate was well under the present prices ruling. Provided there was no fall in the market and the rate of exchange remained as at present a further payment would be made, but as shipments were still leaving New Zealand Mr. Johnstone did not anticipate clearing up the season until November or December. During the year the Otakeho factory was taxed to over-capacity and it was necessary to enlarge the make-room and receiving stage. The board put this work in hand and undertook other alterations to make that branch an up-to-date factory. There was one other extraordinary expenditure, that on an adequate drainage system at ( Tempsky Road branch. That work was satisfactory. “It is not within my scope to comment on international affairs,” Mr. Johnstone said. “We can only keep on doing our jobs as well as we can, trim our sails to adverse winds and hope for the best. In conclusion, I thank my co-directors for the wonderful assistance they have given me.” Mr. E. Chapman commented that the rate of interest was usually fixed by the annual meeting, but this year it was fixed by the directors. He thought it might have been left to the meeting. The chairman said the directors realised that something had to be done and they considered they -were well-advised to make the reduction. COLOURED CHEESE. In reply to a question regarding discoloration the chairman said all companies had had complaints and this year less than the usual coloured cheese had been made by Jolls. The earlier reports were good but ths autumn make showed discoloration. He suggested that if there were any trouble with ’the milk at any branch the manufacture of coloured . cheese at. that branch should be discontinued until , the trouble was removed. He .thought that if the regulations were fulfilled a satisfactory coloured cheese could be made. Mr. W. Johnson asked if any managers had attended Massey College. The chairman said one had done so.. The company wished to encourage the men to take advantage of the instruction offered and would assist in the expenses. QUALITY OF PRODUCE. Mr. O. Robertson said that if elected to the board he would strive to improve the quality. While not casting any blame on the present board he pointed out that of the 45 factories grading at Patea the company’s branches ranged from 12th. to 43rd. position. The chairman replied that the company’s top factory graded 91.908, while the. bottom, one was 90.873. That represented only 1.035 difference,' so it was seen that the branches were all running very close. The staff could make the right article if it received the right milk. Mr. T. York asked why inferior milk had not been rejected. The chairman replied that there was a lot of milk on the “borderline.” Mr. York referred to the good results obtained at Kaponga and asked whether these results were no" due to the men working 10 or 12 hours a day. The chairman said one of the Joll factories did the same thing but it did not make any difference. Mr. W. E. Scott pointed out that as far as manufacture was concerned the branch managers obtained maximum points for make and finish, but it was solely in flavours that they lost. Flavours sometimes developed 14 days afterwards. One season one of the branches topped the grading at Patea, but next year the same factory was nowhere near it. In reply to a question the chairman said a record of the percentage of second grade milk would be kept this season. The retiring directors were Messrs J. W. Paterson and W. H. Corkill and a

vacancy caused by the death of _ Mr. Crocker was' also required . to be fiJea. There were seven, nominations and the ballot resulted:. A. E. Luscombe 567, W H. Corkill 546, O. Robertson 533, J. W. Paterson 480, H. P. Gibson 298, G. Preece jun. 207, A. D. Turner 126. The first three mentioned were declared elected. Messrs Lennon and Tristram were re-appointed auditors at the same remuneration. A vote of appreciation , of the services rendered by Mr. Paterson on the board of’directors was carried by acclamation. DISTRIBUTION OF WHEY. Mr. H. B. Bayliss suggested that something should bS done to prevent suppliers taking more than their share of whey, and after a discussion, he proposed that a man supervise the distribution of whey at each factory. The meeting decided, however, to take no action. The chairman said that in accordance with the wishes of the previous annual meeting a presentation of a piece of silver plate had been made to the former chairman, Mr. J. B. Murdoch. Mr. Bayliss referred to the possibility of contamination of milk from dirty whey tanks and pipes. He thought that if these were kept clean it would materially help the position. In reply to Mr. Candy the chairman said the fuel bill was very low per ton of cheese as the result of the good work Of the general manager. On the motion, of Mr. T. A. Bridge a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the ladies for providing refreshments. He specially included Mrs. J. W. Paterson, who had supervised for many years.