A RICHMOND INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1372, 24 February 1912, Page 16

A RICHMOND INDUSTRY.

MR. W, R. MAY'S BUSINESS. The Nelson district is remarkable for its number of very complete general goods, store, and dairy produco institutions, which are carried on in the several towns on somewhat big lines, these places, in fact, sell or buy anything, and their establishments are striking architectural landmarks in the country. Cm. of tho most important of these wellknown businesses is that of Ml. V>. K. Mav, genera! merchant, Jtichmond. Mr. May established hi.nselt in Kidunond about twenty years ago, and by luunlifyiug himself with work of a sou idly piogressive character, lie has built up one of the finest inland businesses in Ml) U»million. The stores comprise stocks of drapery, clothing, boots, and suoes, l«im. and garden seeds of all kinds, patent manures, roofing iron, fowl and sheep netting, oil paints, and general ironmongery,, farm implements and harvesting machinery. An excellent class of goods is stocked, ami it should pay thoso m need, or anv requirements to give this enterprising firm a turn, as they claim that they give tho best value üblainablo when quality la taken into consideration. , Tho firm are exporters of farmers cmfmery separator butter, dairy butter, hams and bacon, eggs, fruit, potatoes, wool, skins, nnd clialf. Farmers aro invited to take notice that all produco « bought for cash. . Sir. May has always taken a great interest in all dairving industries. lears ago he attempted to influence tbo peonio to start a co-operative butter factory. Uo was unsuccessful, so he commenced a factory himself on very small lines. _ A. few suppliers with a few cows came into line, and the business just petered along for ,mi»ny years. As is usual in nearly

' rI! ventures of this description, (1m early business tfas of an-uphill'nature, but the/. Hdtf i, tt-«nW!il]}' , '(fifitt!(l; , * i.s now:-on a icry sound footing. •TheM are. nearly thirty dairy suppliers, and the ".Doe's Head linind" of I)uttcr,'known all over the prnvjuco and down the West Coast, is first grade. This very fine butler way be supplied fresh daily. Suppliers are paid lild. per pound for butlerfat in Hie summer, and lid. nnd lid. in. the winter. Tho output daily runs between two and three tons. Mr. May hag also established a bacon factory, ■ which is undoubtedly another great boon to thefarmers. At'his own expense ho imported to Kiohmond tho best Berkshire stock bred in New Zealand. Before the factory was started, pigs were sold for what they would fetch, now they nro bntif{iTig •JJd. per pound, nnd have been doing so for th« past twelve months. The butter factory, which is a'new. building, is, fitted with tho latest modern machinery, and has cool storage chambers for butter and fruit, aud llioro are also cool chambers for tho storage of hams and bacon. It is generally recognised that in his butter and bacon factory institutions Mr. May established industries which have added greatly to .tli« prosperity of tho district. Mr. May is a direct importer of merchandise.