AUCKLAND NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2171, 29 August 1907, Page 4

AUCKLAND NEWS.

Presß Association. AUCKLAND, August 28. The annual meeting of shareholders of the N.Z. Dairy Association was held this afternoon. Tlio report and balance-sheet as already published were adopted. Mr. “Wesley Spragg (chairman), in moving the adoption of the report, said the past season had been in some respects a succession of disasters. Fire, llooils, break-down, accident, and illness had followed each other. Tho sudden washing away of the railway lines and bridges destroyed the means of communication and disorganised their business. The injury to the company through the loss, of-supply, which in lijany cases was not recovered for the rest of tho season, and the very expensive ■makeshift transit means which had to be adopted, and tho forced sale of cream in some diij£ricts,. j made a marked difference to business. Had it not been for this disaster tho manufacture, which showed an increase of 373 tons over last rear, would have heeii very much larger. Tlie quantity of butter made by tlie company this season had been 4,029,1391 b, as against 3,194,0581 b for the previous season'. This represented an increase of 835,98111), or a little over 20 per cent., while the increase in 'manufacture bail been 27 per cent. The.cost of manufacture and general cost of business had increased <Shly a little over 12J per cent.—that is there had been a proportionate saving upon tlie handling of this increase of £3OOB. The increased bonus paid this vear as compared with tlie last, was £3037. A balance of £O3l bail also gone to the general business. The total value of tlie year’s local business had been £78,788, an increase of £8347 upon the preceding year. In tlie six -ears of the company’s existence the original debt had been reduced bv' £17,000. . The value of the new property acquired since the purchase was mnde from the old dairy association amounted to £17,737 8s Id. Thus the company’s property, apart from increment of any kind, was to-day worth about £57,737. The directors’ report indicates that two or three more calls upon the first issue of slm.res and calls to bring tho second issue up to the same pa id-up value would meet all ordinary financial engagements of the company. In conclusion the chairman ■acknowledged the valuable services rendered by the staff.

The priests of the Diocese of Auckland to-day presented Dean Hackett with a souvenir of the silver jubilee of his ordination to priesthood, which took place at Borne on 4th March, 1882. Monsignor O’Reilly made the presentation on behalf ol the donors. The Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners of Auckland has lodged with the Clerk of Aufirds an application for an industrial dispute to be referred to tlio Board of Conciliation for settlement.- Employers to tilie number of 379 are asked to be included as parties to the award. The minimum rates of pay demanded arc Is -Id an hour, or for factory workers continuously employed, except through their own default, £2 IBs 8d petweek. The number of apprentices to be one for every three journeymen. The wages asked for apprentices are : During first year of apprenticeship, not less than 7s Gd per week : second year. 12s Gd; third, 17s Gd; fourth year. 22s Gd; fifth year, 27s Gd per week. The demands include the usual preference clauses.