N.Z.C.D.C. AFFAIRS.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16781, 26 April 1926, Page 8

N.Z.C.D.C. AFFAIRS.

(To the. Editor.) Sir, —In reference to a mooting held on April 13 at Hamilton, called by a Mr K. C. Houehen to recompense the laic auditors of the New Zealand co-operative Dairy Co. " The suppliers down our way arc thoroughly disguslcd at the attitude taken up by a few disgruntled suppliers who always seem to be trying to make trouble for the directors of our company. Surely it would be better to remove their names from the list of shareholders altogether as they are no use to the company- The directors and secretary have a lot lo contend with, and why should they be attacked Jike this, sometimes openly, sometimes like this so-called meeting which, as far as I can sec, was only called to cause trouble? That this view was correct is shown by your report of the 1-lth. Thank goodness, there arc onlv a few of this " creed " left trying' lo throw mud at us, as wc, the suppliers, are the ones who suffer most; Ihc directors and the officials gel, Ihc blackguarding, but the poor suppliers pay. Now, Sir, is this a square deal? Wc are supposed to be a co-operative company, trying to get as good a price ror our products as wc can, and just when our company, after going through, the. worst slump that has been known, was getting on its feet,, what do wc find because a few thousands were lost over dried milk? Was it the fault of the managing director or his colleagues that, things went wrong? These agitators might just as well say the slump in cattle was caused by the auctioneers, what caused the late Waikato' Shipping Company to go under? No one blackguarded their directors. Then why should our directors lake the blame for everything? As for calling the meeting, to give the late auditors a testimonial for their past services, this was a deliberate insult to the main body of suppliers. Were not the auditors well paid for their services, or did they give them free? At the annual-meeting the auditors' services were dispensed with by an overwhelming majority, and other auditors appointed, showing plainly what the suppliers thought of their services. If I was dismissed from a job on a vote of my mates would I be likely to get a testimonial from them? Not much! Now, Sir, wc arc after all only a small community; but our company is known the world over as the most up-to-date in the dairy business, and do these agitators think that by stirring up the mud as they are doing they arc helping the company or the Dominion? It is an old saying, "No one can ever get the farmers to combine," and these men arc doing their best to prove it. Surely their better sense must show them they arc wrong. Why can't they lake the right way instead of the wrong? Wc have committees of suppliers in every district who meet the directors and staff frequently, and we arc asked lo bring up any grievance we have or anything that wants correcting, instead of trying to get notoriety by washing our dirvt linen in public. The tone of the meeting showed they were thoroughly sick of it. We cannot ail be directors or paid officials, but for the sake of our company let us all bo loyal to the ones elected and the staff who arc doing all they can lo gel the companv to the top of the tree. Then wc will" get another penny bonus instead of paying for law squabbles, as the lawyers earn their pay easier than wc do. —I am, etc., ARTHUR G. B. GLASS. Whangamarino, April 23, 1920.