DAIRY SUPPLIERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 18, 30 August 1946, Page 5

DAIRY SUPPLIERS

RANGITAIKI SHAREHOLDERS MEET THIRTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING Some eighty suppliers to the Rangitaiki Plains Dairy Company attended the annual meeting at Edgecumbe last Wednesday when details of the past season when 4266 tons of creamery butter were manufactured, were fully discussed by the Chairman of Directors, Mr W. A. McCracken.

This being the thirty-first annual meeting, comment was made upon the photographs reproduced in the annual report, which were taken on the occasion of the opening of the Company’s Edgecumbe Factory in 1923.

The drop in production on the previous year when 4791 tons were manufactured was explained by the chairman as due almost entirely to the drought which had been felt with varying effects throughout the whole of the North Island when the total loss to farmers was computed in value at £2,300,000, or 21,000 of butter and 7000 tons'of cheese. “This the chairman observed was a very substantial loss which had had very serious repercussions in the districts which had suffered most. Explaining the Tosses of £374 and £59 on the mechanic’s shop and blacksmith’s shop account, the Manager stated that this had been main- " ly due to the increase in the industrial awards covering both these departments and in order to offset this, the directorate had decided to increase the hourly service charge to 7/-7

Mr J. Mullins commenting on the

balance sheet said that he was pleased to be able to. see the improvement in the matter of payment. This he realised was due in large measure to the cost of manufacture and by comparison with the New Zealand Company the position was very satisfactory as the cost per lb. butterfat as manufactured in the Rangitaiki was just about half.

Trading Department

A certain amount of criticism was forthcoming about the Trading Department with regard to rebates to suppliers and to the standing rates ■charged for goods. Mr R. W. Dunning was particularly outspoken, naming a number of items and asking if it were not the policy of the company to sell to its shareholder's .as cheaply as possible. The Manager, Mr R. E. Blair, :said he thought the observations rather unfair at an annual meeting -unless backed up by a written statement from the persons concerned. Much of the problem was due to/ the question of quality of the goods concerned. He felt that in this matter there was a tendency to use a fair bit of bluff and he preferred honest proof.

Mechanic’s Shop

Complaints were fairly general as to the service rendered in the Mechanic’s Shop, where speakers claimed that it was next to impossible to get anything done* Mr J. P. Caulfield declared openly that the whole show needed a shake-up. . > The Manager assured the meeting that this matter was likewise being looked into. Ballot For Auditor The question aof appointment of an Auditor was discussed at length, the chairman indicating that although he would like it decided by popular vote at the meeting, he would ox-der a postal ballot in accordance with the Articles of Association in the event of a fairly equal division of opinion. Three nominees came forward Messrs. Prideaux, Bridger and Harland, Mr H. Morgan and Mr L. R. Spring. The two former names were put to the vote and fairly split the meeting. The chairman thereupon announced that a postal ballot would decide the issue in the near future. The remuneration was fixed at the same figure ruling in the past, 100 guineas. A special, letter of thanks was authorised to Mr Miles Hamill the outgoing auditor Who had held the position for 23 years. The honorarium was. fixed as in the past at 200 guineas with £6O travelling allowance and Directors fees were reinstated at a guinea per meeting plus travelling expenses. '

Concluding the meeting the chairman moved a hearty vote of thanks to the manager, his staff and to the company’s officers in the various departments. Messrs. R. E. Blair and Becker briefly responded.

Mr McCracken wished all suppliers a prosperous and successful dairying season.