Waverley – UI. Dairy Factory— Reply to Secretary.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11648, 28 August 1905, Page 6

Waverley - UI. Dairy Factory— Reply to Secretary.

TO THE EDITOR.'

Sir, — I have read in your issue of the 23rd inst. the letter signed "Factory Secretary," in which the writer tries to show that Mr E« I\ Blake, the owner of the labove-named dairy factory, is- making a :good thing out of his suppliers in offering to manufacture over 100 tons of butter this season for £d per lb and the overrun. Of course the fact ..th'at $d P er Ik is dB4 13s- 4d per ton, and not .£ll 4s as stated by "Secretary," will be considered : a mere trifle by that gentleman. That is naturally to be ekpe'eted from a writer who concludes his effusion as follows: "I may conclude by ' saying that I " am in a position which has made me more familiar with the working of dairy factories than any of .the suppliers at Waverley, and could give the owner a point or two on 'these matters." Sir, I presume this "high f aliitin" " on the part of "Secretary" ii& intended to frighten Mr -Blake and my (fellow, suppliers. Personally, however, I don't feel scared a bit. On the contrary, ;sir, . if "Secretary's" statements are correct, I think the dairy' farmers of this I district should be thankful to him for expbsingthe positron. If,' as lie" contends, Mr Blake, will make a good tbing^manufacturing 'for £d per lb and .the over-run, how.MS--it, J I -ask-, ttiafc-'-'gecretarjn has never ' condemned the Utterly exorbitant cost' of 'manufacture -by tlie Waverley;' Coj; operative "Dairy Company' for years' past? "Secretary's- letter should, be an. -eyeopener to the suppliers/ to that company. For example. Messrs Jos. Nathan' and Co. offered' the Eltham Dairy Company 9 jd per lb for their next three years' output, which that company, in niy opinion" wisely refused. This, I -assume, is the same offer ♦• that, the Waverley Co-operative Dairy Company, according to the Press, accepted when they they got some of their suppliers to sign an agreement • for three 1 years -to accept BJd'per lb for their butterfat, the company retaining If d and -the over-run' to cover* cost; of manufacture. That,' sir,- is the >v pdsition~ in' a nutshell. If Mr Blake can manufacture for per lb and the over-run and make -a profit, surely the dairy farmers 'in • this district are not ( wise" io pay any other' company more than this. -If -contentions are correct, the 'Waverley Co-oper-ativo Dairy Company must be obtaining from tlleir suppliers more than a fair amount to cover cost of manufacture, "or otherwise allowing them £d,-p'er- lb and over-run to- cover cost of manufacture, they' must have, sold' their next three "years' output for B{fd per lb, seeing that they have bound their suppliers to accept BJd per lb. .In either case the men responsible for this want shifting. That is, of course, assuming .that' "Secretary's" contentions are correct.. I assume, however, that Mr Hopo-Johnstone, secretary of the Waverley Co-operative Dairy.. Factory Company, will reply to "Secretary" ere long. For myself, ther is no sentiment in this matter. Mr E. P. Blake is manufacturing my produce a" long way /cheaper than ever the Waverley Co-operative Dairy Factory did for me, and I will continue to put .it* in his hands for that purpose until someone else comes along who will do it cheaper, at the same time giving every consideration to his pluck and enterprise. As I was responsible for sending the Patea Press report to the Chronicle, I wish to correct a printer's error in that report, A'iz.,Mr Blake expects to pay out this season 9d per-lb for butter-fat, not 8d as stated. I also expect he- will pay it. and I prefer it to B^a; "what sensible man wouldn't? — I am, etc.,

J. W. McLAEIN.

Waverley, August 24.