TARATA DAIRY COMPANY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144199, 16 September 1913, Page 4

TARATA DAIRY COMPANY.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Tarata Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd., was held in tho Tarata Hall on Saturday, September 13, having boon adjourned from tho previous Saturday owing to tho bad weather. About 20 shareholders were present. Air. E. Death, chairman of directors, read tho report, which was as follows: Your directors herewith present their sixteenth annual report and balancesheet. Butter made amounted to 38 tons 9 cwt. 2 qrs. 19 lb., being an increase of nearly 7 tons over last year. This increase was entirely made up from homo separated cream, the quantity having risen from 1420_1b. during the previous season to 38,951 Hi. during tho season just closed. Your directors think tho shareholders have every reason to be satisfied with the policy which has been followed in respect to receiving cream, as the quantity of milk received shows a decrease 0f|17,324 lb. as compared with the previous year. Y'our directors propose to carry the balance of £24 IDs 4d forward. You will be asked to elect seven directors, and also an auditor. Mr. Hopson’s services are again available. Milk supplied, 1,493,097 lb.; cream supplied, 38,951 lb.; butter-fat in milk, 58,328 lb.; butter-fat in cream, 14,236 lb.; butter made, 86,201 lb.; average test, milk 3.9, cream 27.4; over-run, 18.8; advances paid, 10.71 d per lb. of butterfat.

On tho motion of Mr. Street, secondcd by Air. A. Paynter, tho balancesheet was taken as read.

In moving tho adoption of tho report and balance-sheet, tho Chairman said he thought shareholder? wero to bo congratulated on tho results of the season’s working, especially when tho state of tho butler market last year was taken into consideration. If shareholders had boon present when the directors met tho buyers to make .arrangements for tho disposal of the output they would have had a better idea of the difficulties of the position. Most of the buyers advised consignment, and eventually tho directors had decided to consign to Messrs. Kearlev and Tongc. They had had an offer of Is per lb., less'lo per cent., for tho butter, but did not feel inclined to make a binding contract after the experience of tho previous year, as then they were unable to fulfil their obligations, and the supply for the coming year did not look too promising. Fortunately that difficulty was overcome by extending opera,ions further afield, and encouraging the supply of homo separated creivm, which hud accounted for about one-quarter of the supply. Arrangements had been mado to allow cream suppliers to cqmo in on taking up one share and without signing tho guarantee. . It would be. for thq shareholders to - decide whether to continue to receive cream on the same lines or to make a ffesh arrangement. _ It had been found' necessary _to ’ consider the question of power for'tho cotningsear son. owing to tho comparative failure of tho Water power, and, tho directors had decided to instal a 14, h.p. boiler, which, with exhaust heater, had cost' £IBB, and Hit directors proposed to utilise the Accumulated Reserve Fund of £lOl 9s 4d . towards defraying the cost of same. In conclusion, ho thought the manager had everything in ..fairly good running order tor tho coming season, for which ho thought tho prospects n;cre never brighter; and all they' wanted now was Is for the season’s output.

Mr. H. George seconded the motion. Mr. Barnett inquired whether , the average test for cream, as shown on the report, was not very low, and this opinion was confirmed by several other shareholders. Air. Barnett would like an explanation of tho item in tho bal-ance-sheet “Weddell’s claim, £40.” It seemed a largo amount, and fid thought it might have been possible to get a reductiou. Tho Chairman explained that tho claim, which was for short delivery of butter during the previous season, was originally upwards of £6O, . but that afterteonsiderablo negotiations it was reduced to £4O. Air. Barnott also asked whether it would not have been better business to have improved tho water supply rather than, to put in the new boiler. Tho Chairman explained tho position, showing that it ivas owing to tho failure of shareholders to support tho financial proposals of the directors that this'was not done. t ,

Air. Mackay asked the reason for tho increase in the cost of manufacture over the previous year, in spite of an increased output, which,Mio thought, should have had tho opposite effect. , The Chairman explained that it was chiefly owing to tho increased cost of fuel. Shareholders were aware that owing to tho dry season tho water power had been insufficient, and they had had to purchase much more fuel than in previous.years. Then, in addition, a much larger amount had been spent on repairs, which were urgently needed. 1 ' i ■ ■

The rrport and balance-sheet were then adopted. Tho Chairman then called for! nominations for seven directors, and the following wero proposed and seconded: Messrs. Barnett, Crazier, Hale., Street, Burr, J. Paterson, G. Smith and Morey.

Messrs. Trimblo and Templar. were appointed scrutineers, and a poll was taken, with tho following result:— Barnott 72, Halo 67, Morey 67, Burr 63, G. Smith 62, J. Paterson 54, Crazier 49, Street 26. : Tho Chairman declared ; the first scvcti duly elected ns directors for tho coming year. Mr. AI. Hopson was appointed auditor at tho usual remuneration.

Air. Trimble, Chairman of the Taranaki Education Board, thou addressed the meeting on behalf of the scheme for appointing an agricultural instructor for tho district. Mr. Trimble apologised for tho absence of Mr. Gray, of the Technical School, who had been placing the matter before dairy companies, but Mr, Gray was attending another meeting. As they wore no doubt aware, tho board proposed, if sufficient financial support was forthcoming, to appoint a thoroughly qualified export in scientific agriculture, whoso duty it would be to supervise tho work of tho teachers in the schools, to hold classes in agriculture in any districts where sufficient inducement offered, and generally to advise and help farmers on any matters relative to a more advanced system of farming. Tho board hoped to ho able to procure the services of a man trained at tho Hawkesbury Agricultural College, and to do this it was necessary to offer a salary of at least. £3OO per armugi. They wero asking all tho dairy companies to contribute ono shilling per

•ton for butter and sixpence per ton for cheese on their annual output, lor three years.. This would be subsidised £1 for £1 by the Government, and it was calculated would ’bring in the amount required. . ■. ■ ■ .. .' Several questions wero asked as to the working of,the scheme, and various opinions' expressed. One gentleman, ’was of opinion that too much time was given to outside work at the schools now, and , that tho teachers should devote more- time to teaching tho three E’s, anti Jess to playing about with spades and things.—Finally, Air. But", nett proposed; and Mr. Watt seconded, that the Tarata Dairy Company agree to .contribute their quota to the lund for tho agricultural instructor.—Carried. Proposed by Mr. Alackay, seconded by Air. Alorey, that Rule 2 of the cornmany bo altered to read,, “That one.- ‘ share shall bo- taken up for each 180 lbs. of butter-fat .on the year’s sup-ply.”—.-Carried. The ouestion of the manner .in which .the butter-milk had been disposed, of gave rise to a considerable discussion, but it was finally dropped without-any decision being come to. - Mr. Watt proposed, and Mr. Barnett seconded, that cream suppliers be paid id per lb.' of butter-fat more than milk suppliers. 1 On a vote being taken it was found that tho results were even, and: the -chairman gave his casting vote in favour of the motion, which was declared carried. ‘ Proposed by Mr. Alorey, seconded by Air. Hartigan. that the balance of £2O 3s lid carried forward from July 31, 1912, bo paid out to suppliers for that year.—Carried. The meeting then adjourned.