DAIRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 233, 29 June 1944, Page 4

DAIRY INDUSTRY

Annual Meetings Held In Wellington SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS The 50th annual meeting of the National Dairy Association of New Zealand, Ltd., was held in Wellington yesterday, representatives of 60 shareholding dairy companies attending. Mr. F. Parsons, Whenuakura, who presided, expressed regret that, because of travel restrictions, it had not been possible to hold, the national dairy conference. This was particularly regretted because it was the jubilee year, and in normal circumstances would have been fittingly celebrated. As only a limited number of member dairy companies were able to be present this year, the celebration could not be held, but the directors intended that, if at all possible, a suitable function should be held next year. He was pleased to report an excellent trading year, which had made it possible for the association to rebate to shareholders on ordinary shares, £9890, this being at the rate of 7J per cent, on factory requisites and machinery and 5 per cent, on merchandise.

The following directors were elected: — Taranaki. Messrs. F. Parsons and E. B. Corbett, M.p.; Wellington, Mr. J. D. Brown; Auckland, Mr. S. Rhodes (unopposed). At a subsequent meeting of the full board Mr. Parsons was re-elected chairman. ■’ Reference was made to the great work that had been done for the association by Mr. Arthur Morton, Egmont Village, who resigned his position as chairman of directors during the year. The chairman, Mr. Parsons, said that Mr. Morton had served on the directorate for 36 years, for 33 of which he had held. the position of chairman. He had given splendid service to many co-operative institutions in the dairy industry, but to hone had he given greater service than to the National Dairy Association. His record of service there was likely to remain unsurpassed for many years. A motion placing on record the great services given by Mr. Morton was carried. Several speakers paid tribute to the part he had played in the development of the association from very small beginnings to the great organization existing today. ~ Other Meetings.

Annual meetings of the National Dairy Federation, the Dairy Industry Insurance Agency. Ltd., the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Rennet Co., Ltd., and the New Zealand Producers’ Co-operative Marketing Association, Ltd., were also held in Wellington yesterday. Business at the federation meeting was Confined to one or two formal matters. At the meeting of the insurance agency the president, Mr. D. G. Bagley, Hastings, said that earnings for the year showed an increase. Establishment expenses had been more than covered since the inception of the company. A fund, now amounting to more than £9OOO on fixed deposit, was being built up and would eventually enable the industry to maintain its own co-operative insurance. Mr. Begley and Mr. E. B. Corbett, M.P., Okato, Taranaki, were re-elected unopposed as directors. At the twenty-eighth annual meeting of the Rennet Company, the chairman of directors, Mr, J. B. Murdoch, Hawera, presided over a large attendance. Both he and the manager and secretary, Mr. C. Harrison, addressed the meeting on the operations of the company, which,’ it was stated, extended to Australia, India, South America, South Africa and even us far as the Island of Cyprus. The directors report stated that sales of most of the company’s products showed a small decline during the year, but were considered satisfactory. The chairman said that, at the request of the Government the operations of the company had been ex-tended to the manufacture of certain process cheese for the use of American forces in the Pacific. Satisfactory reports had been received on the product. Most cheese manufacturing companies in the Dominion were now shareholders, and it was hoped that all would he during the current year. The company, be said, supplied the whole of New Zealand’s commercial requirements of rennet. Shareholders adopted a resolution congratulating the directors on. the work thev had accomplished. * Retiring directors, Messrs. AV. E. Scott and J. Fisher, were re-elected. Subsequently, Mr. Murdoch was re-elected chairman of directors.

At the meeting of the Co-operative Marketing Association, Mr. T. A. Winks, Hawera, presided. The following directors wore re-elected unopposed:— Messrs. E. Harding. Hawke's Bay: J. E. Monaghan, Wnirnrapa; AV. Young, Southland.