FREE LABORATORY SERVICE

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1934, Page 8

FREE LABORATORY SERVICE

USE OF HAWERA INSTITUTION. KAPONGA COMPANY CONTINUES. An outline of the services given by the Hawera laboratory of the Taranaki Dairy Federation to contributing companies was given by Mr. P. 0. Veale to the annual: meeting of shareholders of the Kaponga Dairy Company on Friday evening. The company decided to continue its membership. In introducing Mr. Veale, the chairman (Mr. A. V. Tait) said that at the last annual meeting there had been a recommendation that the company should discontinue the use of the laboratory on the expiration of the contract last June. The laboratory was notified to that effect and Mr. Veale had expressed regret that such a step was contemplated. He had pointed out the many advantages to be gained by membership, advantages that the shareholders were probably scarcely aware of. It had been suggested that he attend the annual meeting and put his case before the suppliers. Mr. Veale said that with the laudable desire of economising, the directors had decided to cut out the subscription to the laboratory, and effect a saving. The amount of the laboratory subscription worked out at l-100th of a penny per lb. butterfat. Bearing in mind the small subscription, it was desirable that the shareholders should know what the services consisted of. The tendency was to use science in industry more and more, said Mr. Veale. The manager (Mr. Scott) had gathered a great deal of scientific equipment, in the use of which there had been much collaboration between Mr. Scott and himself. The position of the Kaponga company in regard to quality was very high, but even greater efforts and even more scientific knowledge would be required to maintain the position in the future.

Though Massey College existed for the whole of the industry, it was not able to assist in the daily routine problems of the industry and it was not its aim to give analytical assistance to any company in its daily problems. With the services of the institution at Hawera available for a payment of l-100th of a penny per lb. butterfat, it could be regarded as an insurance. It might appear that any company paying the subscription and not using the laboratory was wasting money, but the aspect of an insurance should be borne in mind. Mr. Veale believed the manager would be very much relieved if he could hand over some of his scientific work to the laboratory. Another thing not generally known, said Mr. Veale, was the assistance received - from the laboratory by individual suppliers if their company was a member of the laboratory service. In this case the laboratory was prepared to do a reasonable amount of work for any supplier free of charge. One form of such service was the bacterialogical analysis of water, while another was the analysis of samples of meat and calf meals, manures, etc. These things had to be done in up-to-date farming and much money could be saved in this way. In one case, continued Mr. Veale, he was able to report that a certain material, though not actually harmful, was useless for the purpose for which it was specified. One man had thus saved £l5 and another £9 on a proposed order. The proportion of subscription on a supply of 10,0001 b of butterfat would amount to about 10s and the man who saved £l5 would have saved 25 years’ subscription ot the laboratory. The testing of samples from individual cows was another form of service. These occasional use of these facilities more than compensated for the proportion of the subscription each supplier paid. Possibly it was owing to lack of knowledge that these facilities were available that had been responsible for the indifference of the suppliers. The laboratory did not wish to lose the support of the company because the more there were in the service the better it was for every one. Mr. Scott referred to Mr. Lennon’s statement that the amount of finest cheese produced had put hundreds of pounds into the pockets of suppliers. He said he believed the laboratory had been of great value to the company in the production of good quality. In the preparation of starters the laboratory could render useful service, as Massey College was rather too far away. He would like to see the laboratory retained. It had been much used during the past four months. He himself was unable to do all the scientific work required. Mr. G. Cox moved that membership of the laboratory should be retained.

In reply to Mr. R. E. Lines, the manager said Mr. Veale would analyse soils. Mr. Espiner mentioned that the laboratory might be useful regarding a new method of payment for cheese milk.

Mr. Scott said the company was now working on an experiment of this kind in conjunction with Massey College and Mr. Veale.

Mr. D. Gibson moved an amendment that either the farm instructor or the laboratory should be cut out. Mr. Cox: Have we ever got anything out of the instructor ?

Mr. Espiner: I have. I thought I knew how to wash cans until he showed me. The resolution was carried. PERSONAL ITEMS. As a tribute to the memory of the late Dr. W. E. Collins those present at the evening for the presentation of the Collins Cup at Hawera on Saturday stood in silence. After a long and serious illness, Miss May Fraser, aged 20, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Fraser, Okaiawa, died on Saturday while being transferred from Tauranga to her home. Mr. Fraser is general manager of the Joll Dairy Co. Miss Fraser’s death will be regretted by a large circle of friends. Sympathy with Messrs L. D. Belton, G. Sleeman and Prestidge in their recent bereavement was expressed at the annual meeting of the Kaponga Dairy Company on Friday. A motion of condolence with the relatives of the late Mrs. Malone and Mr. T. Abbott was passed at the annual meeting of the Kaponga Dairy Company. The chairman (Mr. A. V. Tait) said that both Mrs. Malone and Mr. Abbott had been fine types of pioneers and had done much towards making the district what it was. Although Mr. Abbott was not a shareholder he had taken an active part in the development of the district. A vote of sympathy with the secretary, Mr. R. G. Cook, who has been on sick leave for five months, was passed at the annual meeting of the Kaponga Dairy Company on Friday, and hopes were expressed for his speedy recovery The chairman, Mr. A. V. Tait, sajd he understood Mr. Cook was improving rapidly and it was believed he would be home sooner than expected.