THE KAUPOKONUI FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1011, 29 December 1910, Page 8

THE KAUPOKONUI FIRE.

■ INTERESTING PARTICULARS. ' ' ;; The Kaupokonui Co-operative . Dairy Company's factory, which was destroyed : by-firo on Friday morning, was (says.the "Hawera Star") in' its, fourteenth year - of existence. It was started in 1897,' and the. milk supply "during?-that' 1 year did riot exceed 2300' gallons per day, .tlie sear Eon's_ total being '4,316,0181b5., which yielded 178,3131b5. of buttcr-fat, and tho suppliers were paid 7.88 d.. ppr lb. The total pay-out for milk was i' 5500. . Keav tho end of tho same year a branch lac- ' tory was' started—tho Woioku'ra. At . the present timo the company has seven : factories; arid is, generally regarded as the . largest clieeso company in the Domiuionj in fact many people_say.it is the largest concern of its Kind in. the world. Last year's output was 2198 . tons of cheese, and 12 V tons- of butter. ■ Suppliers were paia at the rate ot 11.8od. per,lb. for their butter-fat. 'fhe. general store business, was commenced iri 1901 in a small way, but' it ' has gone on increasing to sucli an extent that last year's turnover was close -on .£30,0(10. Extra large stocks were being carried for tho Christmas trade. One of, the employees, Mr; A. F, Maude, had a narrow escapo from death. Ho was sleeping in a . lean-to near the engine-room ana was no sooner rouset. and got clear of his apartment , when the roof fell im ■ The/chairman of the directorate, Mr. •W. D. Powdrcll (states the "Star ) thinks the loss, will amount to anything from • ',£BOOO to .£IO,OOO. The insurance totalled -.£ll,OO0 —J26000 on factory machinery. and stock, arid JJoOOOvon general store buildings and stock, .'all in the. ; Koval Insurance Company. About'seventy tons of cheese were destroyed. - Soma had only como in from some' ■of the company's depots on the previous day, and a portion of the stock • held was expected, to be on its way _to tjio railway station . at' Hawera a few hours after the fire.. "... , The 'milk and cream-is at present be■Viiig handled by the two big: neighbouring, concerns,-Jolls and Riverdale. -On the opposite side of the road to the factory : a!grain and'bulk -store and a stable were ■in - the course of erection. Before, the fire had stopped smouldering the directors had decided to convert.. the stable .-into, a- temporary factory and, had let a contract for the concreting of the floor, and the' following day a big gang of men ' were at work on the job. It is expected to have the place in working order bv about January 1.0. ' The' grain and bulk ■store is being converted for -use as a vitore. The matter of erecting another factory may not-be settled _ for a few weeks. It is,, understood that a concrete building is favoured.