Proposed Creamery at Awahuri

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 21, 25 July 1893, Page 2

Proposed Creamery at Awahuri

-♦- Last night a meeting was held at Mr Martin's store, Awahuri, to consider the Advisability of erecting a creamery at Awnhuri in connection with the New Zealand Dairy Farmers' Union, who intend to build a central factory at Palmerston North. Messrs D. Matheson, Farmer, and Groves, three Directors of the Farmers' Uuion, and Mr Cox, canvasser, attended. We noticed the following gentlemen were present — Messrs Dernier (in the chair), Jennins, Tosswill, Phillips, Campbell, Pike, Mends, Whisker, Bennett, and McMillan. The Chairman briefly explained the object of the meeting, and stated that Awahuri should have a creamery the same as other places, and that it was bound to come to it sooner or later. Mr Groves was next called upon, and stated that in order to establish a creamery at Awnhuri it would be necessary to guarantee 150 shares at Jfc'2 10s and the milk from 200 cows, and it was for those present to say what they were prepared to do. They would get about 2d per 1b more for their butter, leaving out the question of labour. The district around Awahuri had not yet been touched, and there was plenty of scope for making the undertaking a pronounced success. If the settlers themselves did not take the matter in hand, they would find that private firms would step in, and literally skim the cream in two ways. Any profit made would be returned pro rata to every farmer who joined, as the afiair was to be worked on the co-operative principle. They intended to gat experienced men to manage their various branches. { Mr Matheson said the Directors were settlers who had only taken the matter up as they felt sure it was bound to become a great success. Mr Corpe, who was an authority in these matters, had expressed the opinion that dairy-made butter would soon become a thing of the past. In the South Island they go in principally for cheese factories, where there are no lens thnn 74 established. Experts on the other hand consider that more profit is made from butter than from cheese. Mr Groves stated that it was to the advantage of property owners to take ."hares, as these factories improved the value of their land. About 60 shares were taken up and 140 cows guaranteed at the meoting. Mr Dermer and Mr Cox undertook to canvass the district and report to a meeting of the Palmerston Directors to be held on she Ist proximo. The customary votes of thanks brought the proceedings to a close.