Proposed Dairy Company at Rangiwahia.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 230, 1 April 1897, Page 2

Proposed Dairy Company at Rangiwahia.

A well attended meeting of settlers was held in tho school house at Rangiwahia ou Tuesday evening last, when Mr C. W. Soreuscu, Government dairy expert, delivered an address ou dairy matters, a movement having be«n commenced iv the district lor the pur pose of establishing a dairy company. Mr McLsnaghan was voted to thu chair. Mr Sorensen recommended that a cheese factory should be started as the district was long and narrow and advised them not to start unless they were cer tain of obtaining the milk from not losh than 400 cows. He was favorably impressed with the district as a dairy country and recommeuded Raugiwahia as the most suitable locality, which would enable settlers at Ruahine sup plying. Tho cost of a cheese factory would be about i.BOO, while a butter factory with creameries would cost about £'1600. The average amount paid for milk by cheese companies during the past season throughout the colony was from yd to y/ t d per gallon, being slightly higher than that paid by butter factories, but there was really very little difference when the difference between skim milk and wbey was taken iuto consideration. He had seen good calves reared by feeding with linseed or crushed oats mixed with the whey. Ho instanced the prosperity of small farmers in the Taranaki since the establishment of dairy factories there, where dairying was now a thriving industry. He advised them to make a rule for each supplier to take a share for each cow, that the payments should be 2s 6d per share on apjjlication and the balance by stopping one farthing from each gallon until the shares are paid up ; non suppliers to pay 2s (Jd on application and the balance in three months. The Department would supply plans and other information required for the erection of a factory. If a cheese factory was started they could ultimately add machinery to make butter if they desired. A committee consisting of Messrs Dobson, Clark and Gould was appointed to canvas the district for support and, also, to interview the Ruahine settlers to ascertain whether they would support a factory at Ruahiue.

Tho meeting adjourned for a fortnight until Tuesday April 13th, when the committee will submit their report.