CITY’S MILK SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 117, 15 February 1928, Page 12

CITY’S MILK SUPPLY

FUTURE DEMANDS FROM OTAKI DISTRICT ENLARGEMENT OF RAHUI FACTORY COUNCILLORS ATTEND OFFICIAL OPENING

The Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup) and the members of the City Council paid an official visit to Otaki yesterday to see for themselves the manner in which the Rahui factory there has been enlarged and improved in order to cope with the increased demand made upon the district as one of the principal sources of Wellington’s milk supply, and the way it has been adapted and improved to deal with the manufacture of cheese, butter, and dairy by-products. The Mayor also performed the official opening.

Additional significance was lent the visit by the presence in the party of the Hon. W. F. Smith, Queensland Minister of Agriculture, and the Hon. W. Bennelt, member for Gloucester (a dairying district), in Hie New South Wales Parliament. Others included in the party were Afr. W. 11. rield, JI P for the district, and Air. P. Fraser, Af P . who was one of the original members of the Alilk Committee of the Wellington City Council, and chairman of ■ the Parliamentary Committee which inquired into the milk supply question in connection with legislation that was being considered by Parliament at the tl The visit was the outcome of a spontaneous invitation of the dairy farmers of the district—the Rahui Suppliers Committee. This was explained by Mr. W H. Bennett, chairman of the Milk Committee, who placed the necessities for the alterations under the following of machinery through lack of space, necessitating structural alterations: insufficient refrigeration to cope with increasing supplies of milk and cream for town; necessity of manufacturing casein apart from milk-treating and 'butter manufacturing portion of the building; desirability of dm manufacture and supply of ico to suppliers for milk-cooling purposes; insanitary condition of concrete floor; installation of electric power supplementary to steam power. Casein and Ice Manufactured. Air. Bennett explained that the alterations carried out were as follow:-— Structural—Old cheese curing room extended and converted into casein room; old wooden butter store room, pulled down, ami converted into sknn-nnlk cooling and town cream pasteurising room- new concrete butter store and store room; new salt room and storeroom; concrete ice-making chamber; engine room extended to accommodate new compressor; canopy erected over loadNew six ton compressor installed; better lay-out of ammonia piping throughout the factory; rearrangement 'of brine and chill water tanks; installation of two milk coolers, namely, pre-cooler and direct expansion cooler, both internal tube type. Casein plant removed to room provided for same. Capacity, 3200 gallonsAn ice-making plant has been installed, capacity half ton daily. New concrete floors liavo been laid throughout the factory. . Electric power has been installed to drive some of the machinery, relieving steam on boiler and engine. General. —Prior to the alterations at the factory, practically the whole of the operations .were carried out m one room. Th© position was made more aitficult by the manufacture of casein in the room, there being a constant danger of imparting to the other products the disagreeable odour which arises from casein during the course of manufacture. A further difficulty was the insanitary condition of the concrete floor, the only remedy being the laying of a now one. These difficulties are now removed, and the factory is well equipped, and set out to the best advantage. There is now a refrigeration capacity of nine tons ice, or eighteen tons refrigeration, and this should meet requirements for many years. The direct expansion cooler, in conjunction with the pre-cooler, will enable town milk to be cooled to a temperature of 3fi degrees Fahr, at the rate of 1200 gallons per hour. The butter making plant is now conveniently set out. Through Akatarawa Gorge. The party, accommodated in ten cars, proceeded to Otaki by way of the Akatarawa Gorge, in order to allow, members of the council an opportunity of grasping the lay of the land as far as the new watershed area for Wellington is concerned, and to view a clump of bush—from a distance—an application for the milling rights of which has . been received by the council. Two-thirds of the way through the bush in the bottom and sides of the gorge were found to be on flame, and at one stage the bushes right alongside the road were on fire. Arrival at Otaki. At Otaki the party was. met by Afr. H. L. Beauchamp, the chairman of the Suppliers’ Committee, other members of the committee, and several dairy farmers, who escorted them to the Alunicipal Theatre, where luncheon, was served, and was very much appreciated by the party from town. After luncheon Air. Beauchamp gave all present a hearty welcome to “tropical Otaki,” and said that the weather only reflected the warmth of the welcome he wished to extend to the Alayor, councillors, and other visitors. Mr. Troup returned thanks for the warm welcome accorded the party. He said he was pleased to reciprocate the feeling, which seemed to show that at last it had been realised that their interests were the council’s, and the council’s theirs, as far as the milk supply was concerned, and they were now one fine big family. . . A voice: “Don’t be too optimistic.’ Continuing, th© Alayor said that he honed that feeling was going to be maintained, as they were now working together with a joint community of interest. Air. Beauchamp, said ho regretted the absence of Air. R. E. Herron, the manager of the milk department, and “the best man the council could have found in New Zealand for the job,” also the father of the scheme, Afr. C. J. B. Norwood, from whose shoulders the cloak of control had fallen upon Alt. W. H. Bennett. , , Air. W. H. Bennett, who was greeted with applause, said that he,, too, regretted the absence of Mr. Hetron, who was at present in England and America purchasing equipment for the new depot in Wellington. He had received a letter of apology from Mr. W. T. Strand, the Alayor of Lower Hutt, who had been a member of the Alilk Commission, and also one from Air. Norwood, regretting his inability to be present, and expressing sentiments congratulatory on the good feeling that hnd been brought about between the dairy farmers and the council. The organisation of such a big thing as a municipal milk scheme, ne said, could not very well be done without encountering difficulties. They had come to the conclusion that there must ho a balancing station. So they hnd looked round, and had discovered the Rahui factory as one most suited, to their requirements, nud had entered into an arrangement with the suppliers, nnd taken over the factory. In time the factory had become inadequate to the demands made unon it, and as the Governmont inspectors wore making little difficulties over- the by-products bemg treated in the same place as the butter and cheese they had found it neces-

sary to make the improvements stated above. At the Factory, The party then visited the factory, which is set amidst fair lawns and garden lieds, and is a real aesthetic asset to the place. After an inspection of the works, which were not in action, an adjournment was made to the front lawn, where the Mayor declared the new factory open. In doing so he once more congratulated the suppliers on the cordial relations which existed between them and the council. It had to be remembered that the council had assumed the responsibility of feeding the whole of Wellington as far as milk was concerned, and, as time went on, they would make increased demands upon the Otaki district, for the city was growing and the farming lands of the Hutt Valley were being rapidly converted into residential lands. It was within the measure of a few years only when there would be no milk coming to Wellington from the Hutt Valiev, so they would have to look to Otaki more and more for their supplies. The council’s interests were their interests. It was absolutely necessary that there should bo co-operation and co-ordination, and that Air. Bennett had done his very best to bring about. ■ (Applause.) . „ ’ Alessrs. W. Bennett, the Hon. W. T. Smith, Mr. W. H. Field, and Air. J. P. Brandon, Alayor of Otaki, also spoke briefly, after which the party left on it« return to th« city.