N.Z. CO-OP DAIRY CO.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4745, 1 September 1924, Page 2

N.Z. CO-OP DAIRY CO.

HUIRAU ROAD FACTORY. MEETING OF SUPPLIERS. The annual meeting of suppliers to the N.Z, Co-operative Dairy Company’s Huirau Road cheese factory was held in the Turua Buildings on Friday evening. Mr A. H. Sutton presided, over an attendance of about 24 suppliers. Mr W. C. Dixon, cheese branch supei intendent, and Messrs W, E. Hale and G. Buchanan, directors, were present, and addressed the suppliers on the lines given at Netherton and Shelly Beach. Mr W. E. Hale, local director, after apologising for the absence of Mr Sinclair, who was detained through illness said that the past year had not, been too satisfactory' owing to the state of the markets, but the payout was equal to many others in the company’s territory. Mr Dixon said that the quality at the Huirau Road factory was very satisfactory. The average grade for the year 1921-22 was 88.73 per cent.; 1922-23, 89.32 per cent.; and 1923-24, 90.49 per cent. The average ‘ grade for the company’s sixteen factories was 90.12 per cent. The factory had had 2J40 crates graded first, and only 88 second. The figures for the factory for the year were as follows, those for the previous season being in parenthesis • Pounds of milk, 5,524',945 (5,569,844) ; average test, 3.78 (3.85) ; pounds of butter-fat, 202,669 (212,436) ; pounds of cheese, 551,573 (546,659) ; pounds of milk to lb of cheese, 10.01 (10.18) ; ratio, 2.72 (2.57); whey cream recove# 4.28 per cent. (5.24 per cent); by sales of cheese, fiie.SßO 1 7s' lOd (23,829 16s 2d), whey cream, £548 4s 9d (£577 2s). The stock of cheese on hand was valued at £1540 14s 5d (£8 18s 2d) ; cost of manufacture, and delivery into overseas boats, £l7 15s 8d (£lB 10s) a ton; average advance, 15.94 d (17.19 d ; estimated bonus, .85d (2.44 d ; total payout, 16.79 d (19.63 d Discussing the working expenses, Mr D;xon pointed out that the fuel bill had been reduced from £3 a ton to £2 13s a ton. The cartage and freight on coal and crates was much more than most of the other factories. The cost of maintenance had been very high, as a new boiler had been installed. If the fuel and maintneance charges were brought down to the average of other factories the payout would have been very much better. Mr G. Buchanan a director of the company, said" he wished to congratulate the factory on the high quality of its output. Credit was due to the suppliers as much as to the staff. Numerous questions in relatiojn to the fuel bill and the maintenance charges were asked by suppliers and answered by Mr Dixon. The question of whether the factory should change over to butter was brought up by Mr Baker. * , Mr Madgwick said that the fact that the suppliers had put up a cheese factory should be a good leason for not changing. No one could tell what the market would be, and no one wished to have to take up butter shares. ' To feeling of the meeting Mr Baker moved that the factory be closed and that suppliers separate and send their cream to Ngatea. The motion lapsed for want of a seconder. In leply to Mr Ansford Mr Dixon said that the company favoured the proposal by the Government to raise the standard of grading in the grade stores In calling for nominations for a suppliers* committee Mr- W. E. Hale commended the good -work done by the retiring committee, Messrs Sutton, Madgwick, and Newman, and moved that they be accorded a vote of thanks. This was carried by acclamation. The retiring committee was then unanimously re-elected. The good work done byjthe director for the district, Mr W. E. Hale, was mentioned by Messrs Sutton and Madgwick, whb isaid that he had given the factory a very great deal of his attention and had undoubtedly proved an acquisition to the board of directors. The meeting closed with votes of thanks to Messrs Dixon, Hale, Buchanan, and Tattersall, and to the> chairman. A vote of confidence in the administrators p£ the company was moved by Mr A. Zeigler, seconded by Mr O. C. Allen, and carried by acclamation. Mr Dixon, replying, said that he would have conveying the resolution to the head office. The company was taking stops to reduce the fuel and maintenance charges, and hoped that for the coming season the payout would be much better, Aftei the meeting tea and sandwiches were handed round.