BUTTER AND CASEIN-

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15185, 10 March 1923, Page 6

BUTTER AND CASEIN-

N.Z.C.D.C. FRANKTON FACTORIES.

j|. . HIVES OP INDU&TRY. ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. V, The management of the New Zea- ; land Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd. recently issued an invitation to the pressmen of the South Auckland district to visit their works at Frankton Junction. Some 20 or 30 accepted, and on Wednesday last they were afforded an unique opportunity of obtaining insight into the inner working of the concerns of the great co-opera-tive organisation. They went expecting much, and they were not disap- / pointed. After being briefly welcomed by Mr Sinclair, on behalf of the company, the pressmen were placed In charge of Messrs Heighway and Missen, who conveyed them to Frankton No. 1 Factory. Mr Parlane, the manager, was here installed as guide, and he conducted the party through the huge building, explaining in detail and by ocular demonstration the many processes through which the raw product passes from the time it arrives at the receiving stage until it leaves the factory boxed and branded by one of the company's well-known brands, viz., Anchor, Acorn, and Daffodil.

The Butter Factory.

The first of the morning's delivery was at the receiving stage, and the grader and weigher were hard at work. Mr'Parlane selected three cans, and the pressmen were invited to try them- This they did, with the result that the amateurs' opinion was found to unanimously support the professionals' , verdict. The taste of the cream was most distinctive. The professional's palate may at times be hard put to to discriminate between some cans, but in the three submitted the veriest tyro could not err. The cans in question were graded superfine higher first, and lower first respectively. What second-grade cream would taste like the writer does not know, as fortunately for him there was none on the stage that morning. Mr Parlane dwelt enthusiastically upon, the advantages of the grading system now adopted by the company, and pointed out that it was having a most beneficial effect upon the output of the factories. It had also done much to eliminate the lack of cleanliness in handling the milk and the care of machines, about which a year or two ago many complaints were voiced. Once graded, the cream Is emptied Into the respective vats and the prooess of converting it Into Anchor (superfine), Acorn (first grade) and Daffodil (seoond grade) Is proceeded with. It is pasteurised and cooled In the short space of 30* minutes, Mr Parlane explaining that the rapidity of this operation is a niosUmportant factor in the manufacture of butter. From the pasteuriser the cream passes on its way to the churns, which are capable of dealing with from 7501 b to 1 ton of butter at a single operation. Scrupulous cleanliness is the watchword of the factory, the greatest care being exercised to ensure that nothing is permitted that will have the slightest deleterious effect upon the product.

An Anomaly. Upon the opening of the churn the butter is dug out and conveyed to the ' weighing" bench, and here Ihe pressmen were brought face to face with an ancient trade custom. One quickvisioned soribe noted that the weights on the balance were 56£lb. He inquired, "Why the extra 8oz?" and was Informed that it was a custom of the „. trade, the origin of which was lost in antiquity; it probably dated back to the time when butter was not so carefully manipulated as now, with the idea of allowing for evaporation. Under present conditions evaporation Is unknown, but the cbstom continues, and so jealous are the merchants of their "perk" in this connection that in making a purchase they are entitled to pick any four boxes and have them weighed. Should they average less than 56£lb they can claim the deficiency on the whole purchase. A further inquiry as to what the extra Jib was oharged against, it was elicited that It was debited to the "overrun." The pressmen and their hosts agreed that the custom was an anomaly which should be ended, but it was also reoognised that such a deeply-entrenched trade custom- would be difficult to remove. Casein. Mr Dance, who is in charge of the •casein factory, courteously explained to-the scribes the process of manufacturing casein, the demand for which ' at present is keen. The process now In vogue is that in general use, and It necessitates considerable labour. The company, however, as the result 'of experiments and research, has, it is believed, evolved a process which will eliminate considerable labour and will make the casein a more payable proposition than it is at present. The powder is placed upon the market in three degrees of fineness to fulfil the respective purposes for which it is used.

Tho Box Manufactory. The box-making factory proved to ue one of the most interesting and attractive departments visited. The work here is carried out by contract, and Mr Falkmer was most courteous in his treatment of the visitors. The plant is one of the most replete in Australasia, being capable of turning out ,1200 cheese crates and 1000 butter ;boxes per hour. These are big figures, ,but a vry brief visit to the factory would serve to convince the most sceptical as to their accuracy. The rough kahikatea boards are converted into the regulation butter boxes, bearing the company's embossed brand, at a rate that is'astounding. It is claimed for the company that it has on its staff the champion manipulator of a nailing machine in Australasia. Whether the boast is justified the scribe cannot say; but of one thing he is confident, after seeing the man U. action, and that is if there is anyone who can beat him he must be a close relation of the Lightning Family. Facts and figures submitted demonstrated that the company's venture into the box-making Industry has been a profitable one for the suppliers, the savings effected in the first two years more than covering the cost of the plant. One very noticeable thing In the box-making factory was that despite tho activity and the hustle, the factory was completely free of dust- This was due to the fact that the shavings, the p.wdust and small chips are lifted by suction and'Conveyed by pipes to the engine-room, where they assist to feed the furnaces, it being computed that this means a saving of several tons of coal per day on the fuel bill. This is but another indication of the efficiency and climination-of-waste system observable throughout the entire factory, betokening the closest co-opera-tion between the heads of departments and the managftnient to obtain the maximum. re*uiia from the minimum

expenditure of labour and to keep the cost of manufacture of the company's products at the lowest possible figure.

The Saw Doctor.

A brief visit to the saw doctor showed that most important functionary hard at work amongst his patients, and tiie manner in which he was making the sparks fly put Longfellow's village blacksmith in the shade. However, the doctor managed to spare a few minutes to explain to the uninltiited the process required to keep a saw fit, and the company withdrew from the surgery feeling that they had met an expert indeed.

Thd Tlnkery.

The can manufacturing department is in a transition stage. At present a large amount of hand labour is necessary in making the receptacles for marketing dried milk, but Mr Bamford is now engaged in erecting the latest machinery, which he expects to have running in a few weeks. This will mean that the cost of the company's cans will be reduced to an absolute minimum.

Other Branches

It should be mentioned that the company has its own expert for the adjustment of its separators. It possesses its own electrical locomotive for haulage of trucks to and from the Frankton railway station, and this is run practically at the cost of wear and tear. The can-washing operations are most replete, and altogether the factory is a striking example of what can be achieved in the way of efficiency by careful organisation and the employment of labour-saving devices.

The scribes left the Frankton factory fully seized of the fact that notwithstanding the adverse comments sometimes indulged in, the dairy farmers of the Auckland provinoe have in their co-operative factories something indeed to be proud of. The visitors, however, were to get an insight into still more triumphs, but details must be reserved for another article.