Proposed Creamery for Birmingham.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 220, 23 January 1894, Page 2

Proposed Creamery for Birmingham.

— — • —^ - A public meeting in connection with the Fanners' Club was held on Saturday evening in the Town Hall. Over twenty settlers were present. Mr Morton was voted to the chair and called on Mr Fergusson to address the meeting. This Mr Fergusson did in a masterly inauner and advocated the advantages which would accrue to the settlers by the establishment of a creamery in the district. He pointed out how the value of land would be increased thereby and showed that not only the farmers but the tradespeople in the township would be benefitted and recommended the latter to take up shares in their own interest. Mr Fergusson then read an extract from the first report of the Department of Agriculture showing how the butter and cheese exported from the colony had increased and what an important factor these products were likely to become to New Zealand and also in what a healthy condition all the dairy factories established in the colony were. He compared the profits to, be made from sheep and dairy farming which proved to be greatly in favor of the latter, and] concluded by stating that the settlers of Birmingham could join in with the Cheltenham Factory Company on condition of 250 shares being taken up and the milk of 250 cows guaranteed, and pointed out to the meeting that the majority of calls would be taken out in milk and also that, in accordance with their articles of association, no milk would be received from others than shareholders. Mr Spencer, of the Cheltenham Factory, gave a short address and informed the meeting that the Colyton settlers who had in the first instance joined his factory, were so successful that they were now going to establish a factory on their own account. A discussion here ensued on the pros and cons of the venture in which Messrs Fergussou. Xolley, Morton, Nesdale, Fowler and Haggarty took part. Mr Mills, a director of the Cheltenham Factory, also spoke in favor of the measure and said that while a farmer amalgamated sheep farming and dairy farming it was more remunerative than depending on one alone and as a further argument showed the meeting Iris returns from the Cheltenham Factory for the last month, which showed an average of 30s per cow. A committee consisting of Messrs Hodge, Haythorne, R. Burns, Fergusson and the Chairman was formed for the purpose of canvassing the district. Fifty shares were taken up and over 100 cows guaranteed at the meeting. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the business.