MAKETAWA DAIRY COMPANY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16822, 21 August 1920, Page 8

MAKETAWA DAIRY COMPANY.

ANNUAL MEETING. The 25th annual meeting of the Makctawa Dairy Co. was hold on Thursday, when Mr. J. Brown, chairman of di--1 rectors, presided over, an attendance j of about 70 shareholders. ! ANNUAL REPORT. Tho annual report stated:— i The quantity of butter made was 130 tons lewt. Qqr. l-llb. The surplus “amounts to £2073 0s lid which will allow of a further payment to factory suppliers of 2.7 d per lb. and to creamery suppliers of 2.6 d per lb. which will bring tiie total payments to Is 7 7-10 d per lb. of butter-fat. To this will have to be added the balance of equalisation fund payments for local sales when same is received. There were 593 boxes of butter in the freezing works at tho date of balancing for which filin' payment has yet to be received. The directors propose to make a payment of id per lb. at the annual meeting and-to make further payments as the butter gets away and tho money comes to hand. Suppliers for casein have had an advance of 2d per lb. of butter-fat and tho account at present is overdrawn, owing to tiie advance on the dried product having been reduced. It is confidently expected that the final settlement from the Casein Co. when received, will more than counterbalance the present deficit. During tho year your directors purchased a house and a small piece of land to provide accommodation for.tho frst assistant, at a cost of £4OO. , You will ho asked to appoint two directors in place of Mcsirs. J. Brown and J. H. Dombroski who retire by rotation and arc eligible for re-election. Tho following particulars of output were given:— Lbs. of milk received 6,937,111, lbs. of cream 28,046, lbs. of butter-fat 200,766, )bs. of butter made 304.766, butter to lib. of butter-fat I.IGB, average test milk 4.19, average tost cream 43.5. CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS.

The chairman said that during the past season tho output had exceeded that of the previous year by IS tons, i and in all probability the pay-cut would bo better than expected, as there '"■ns still about 4000 to COOO boxes of butter in coal store. Last year tbo final payments were received from the Government above November and it was expected to bo- about tbo same month this year. Unfortunately, a considerable amount of trouble was experienced wun industrial struggle and it did not appear as though they were yet ended. He had interviewed tho casein company at Wanganui, and a certain figure had been placed on it by the Maketawa Dairy Co., and failing that price being agreed to they would refuse to supply any more. For the coining season they cxncQted to receive 3d for lactic casein, and 3id for rennet casein. As far as the shipping question was concerned, ho thought that the Casein Company was gambling a bit on the prospects, but of course there would certainly be an improvement on last season. Regarding the purchase of a house for the first assistant, he suggested that it be paid for by deducting 1-od from butter-fat, which would clear off the debt in less than two years. The over-run was not, ns good as in previous years, but tho fault did not lie .with tho manager, as a broken part in the machinery, of which a spare part was unprocurable, had a lot to do with it. Paper had risen in price, considerably, while wages were about the same. The buttermilk which used to bo sold, averaged about £l7,' and now that it was manufactured into butter-milk casein it returned £72. The question of the manufacture of dried milk had been carefully considered, but when it was learned that it would require a suppiy of 700 tons of coal per year, further consideration was out of tho question. Ko coal company would guarantee the supply ami the price was uncertain. Manv other factories in' Taranaki had looked at the matter from tho same, view-point. If ever the Main Trunk line is completed as far as Ohura, then an opportunity would be afforded to obtain a cheaper supply of coal, wbicli was of good quality, and 100 miles nearer. lie bad attended the conference of delegates of dairy factories at Palmerston North and heard the views of the C.W.S. Personally, he was not prepared to enter into negotiations with them. He had a fooling that there was something that was not quite, clear, yet he could not exactly put his finger on the weak spot. Mr. Corrigan’s scheme to have their own floors at Homo was a good one, hut it would require a very large amount of capital. As far as he could learn tho C.W.S. scheme was not meeting with much support in Taranaki. However, that was a matter for the shareholders to decide. Regarding the Egmont Box Co. ho was pleased to say that it was now a very satisfactory concern, and they wore assured of a supply of boxes and crates for at least tho next seven years. The Moturoa Freezing Works hail also proved a very'satisfactory concern. In past vqars there bad been an everlasting fight at the Durham Road creamery, over skim-milk supplies. That trouble would soon be ended as the directors are having installed a skim-milk weighing machine, similar to the one at the main factory. Regarding the price of blitter for next season, there was no doubt that there would be a fairly big advance. An offer of 240 s had been refused in New Zealand. What they wanted was a f r eo market, but- personally he did not think a free market would be available.' They wanted to get away from the commander, otherwise it might go on continuously. The British Government had offered a price on a parity with cheese, but the question’ was, what was a parity with cheese? In his opinion it was 2915. An offer had been made of 2a fid per lb. for New Zealand butter. Their own company had not supplied locally since the end of July last, and hai put the whole stock into store. Tho outlook for the coining season, to his mind was not by any means too pleasant. He was quite sure that there was going io bo very serious labour troubles. There would bo strikes, he felt certain, and tho sooner they came tho better, and get them over. If they did not come within the next six months he would bo surprised At the., present juncture he favoured making a sale to the British Government.

Pie then moved the adoption of the report find balance sheet. This was seconded b.v Mr. J. Simpson. Mr. Marshall said that lie did not think the employees were receiving sufficient wages. Their creamery manager was receiving £3. Did they think that a fair thing at the presenfc'cost of living ? Tlie chairman; Wo pay on a scale agreed upon by the employees themselves; in fact, in many cases over that. Don’t forget that wo provide a house, firing, milk and butter free. Mr. Marshall said that seeing that the cost commodities had gone np nearly treble since 1914, he considered

that tho wages paid now should be double that paid in 1914. The secretary: Am I to be included, in that? (Laughter), The chairman; “It is for you shareholders to say. V/e can spend your money. That’s easy.’ - In his opinion they had treated their men fairly and if they wore not satisfied, surely they could "approach tho directors and say so. Mr. J. Johnston said, that he considered it better for the directors to recognise a man’s worth, “and pay him accordingly, rather than wait until he was dissatisfied, and had to ask for c, rise. The report and balance sheet were then adopted. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS. The election of directors resulted: J. Brown 33, J. H. Dombroski 33, IV. S. Burton 8, F. J. Hodges 8. Messrs. Brown and Dombroski were declared elected. Mr. G. Pullen was re-elected auditor. GENERAL. Mr. Hodges moved that in tho opinion of this meeting tho time had arrived for tho pooling of all expenses of the company, thus placing the creamery suppliers on the same basis as the factory suppliers. This was seconded by Mr. Shield. Mr. J. Johnston moved as an amendment that the creamery suppliers ho mot half Way. There was no seconder to tho .intendment. On tho motion being put, the motion was lost by 17 vote-s to 12. It was decided that the payments of tho first assistant’s house bo extended over a period ef two years. Mr. J. Simpson moved; “That this meeting of suppliers are of opinion that a better .system of distribution of produce is needed and, believing that the scheme initiated by the C.W.S. is the best improvement over older conditions, herewith authorise the directors to do all possible to forward tho adoption rj tho project.”. Tho motion was seconded by Mr. Hodg&s and, on being put to the meeting was declared lost. The chairman was voted an honorarium of £45, and the directors £1 for each monthly mooting they attend. Votes of thanks were passed to tho chairman, directors, staff, and press.