CO-OPERATIVE DAIRYING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 347, 22 March 1911, Page 5

CO-OPERATIVE DAIRYING.

TO START NKX.T SEASON. In the Loan :i:nl Mercantile Company's otfices last evening a meeting of farmers w:t.: held to di.icus's \\ lii'Uht the time 11a1.1 arrived to start a dairy factory oi; co-operative lines ill te Kuiti. Tluto \v;u a good attendance and a large nunilu'V ul' interests were represented. Mr J. Koddie. who was elected to the chair, said, a..-' one of the convenors, that they hail conn 1 together to conyiik'r the question whether the time had arrived (o start, a. co-opera-tivo dairy factory. Meeting: 1 - had been hold last ytuir in emineetion with the matter, and it was then decided lo wait for another i.welve months in order thai, farmers' improvements might, be more lorward. It was the opinion of a great. many who had taken an iiiL-ce.-il in 'ho matter that the time was ripe to make a start. Pie himself was ot opinion that the question should he faced. He was convinced that the time had arrived and that an ample supply could be procured. He was suro that if a factory waa started 011 the linea that he intended to submit, that suppliers would he able to obtain within a fraction of what other factories paid. Settlers from the Waimiha district bad approached him regarding taking their cream, if a factory started. He had replied to them that if everything went all right, somebody would visit the district and make arrangements with them. The home separation scheme would have to he adopted, and by that means a large supply of cream would be brought in trotn outlying di.-itri t.t. lie ;usked tho.-ie piesent to fully discuss the ditlerent ph uses of t he question. Mr U. M. Someiw die considered that a start ought to he made on co-opera-tive lines. The work of amalgamation going on, as tor example, in the Waikato, he considered was detrimental to the farmer. He supported dairying on co-operative lines with home separation. He did not see why they should not be able to pay as good prices for butter fat, a little later, as the bigger factories. He favoured the matter j being proceeded with expeditiously, - and that provisional directors or a committee should be set up to ascer- ! tain the number of cows available. 1 Mr Boddie referred to the districts j in and around that would be milking in | a year or two. Dairying was one of j those industries that gave men an op- i portunity of getting the best results , from their land. Mr Boddie quoted ' returns that he could vouch for, aa be- ! ing the gross receipts from milk, > calves and pigs from farms of 200 j acres, 80 acres, and fu acres, ihe ie- ; turns were for the 200 acres farm .£7 ; per acre, 80 acres £9 per acre, and the , 57 acres £lO per acre. The same good j results could be got in this district in 1 a few years. If they could be ob- j tained in other districts it could be j done in the country surrounding 1e j Kuiti. GWng the number of cows j with which to make a good start, he j had no doubt that a price could be paid j that would surprise many. The town > and district were doing well at preBent, and now was the time to start 1 dairying in order that it mignt be in | full swing when the present prosperous j era was beginning to subside, and ren- 1 dering prosperity continuous. By ( going 011 with this movement they j would help themselves, and would be j establishing an industry in the district | that would be of more value to them j than a gold mine. (Applause.) j Mr J. Steel said that dairying was j a very desirable thing. He was con- l vinced that co-operation waa indisperi- ; sable. He knew that the support from j the back districts would be extensive. 1 The position was only a matter of ways j and means. ; Major Lusk considered that there was only one opinion, and that was j that a start should be made. He j thought all were agreeable that the matter should be carried out among , themselves. He was satisfied that co- J operation gave the best results. Dairying would push the district ahead better than anything else. He intended to be a supplier. Mr McLean said he wa3 aware that there waa no farming so remunerative as dairying. He said that there was a point that he was not clear on, and that was whether it was desirous of having a factory. His motive was to gain information. He questioned whether the industry should be carried out on co-operative lines, or whether they should not join a well organised company like the Dairy Association, lie would like to see a factory erected but he thought that a committee of inquiry should lie appointed, to leport at at subsequent meeting. They were all working in the common interest and he would like to see the best done. Mr Boddie appreciated the cautious remarks ot the previous speakei, aiu.

was pleayed that he raised that aspect, of the (lueation. hi t-11>* early days ol Tarar.aki the dairyin;./ industry was in the hands of private enterpri.-ie. \ ear by year yaw t!m adoption ni t!u' ruoperative uystcm, with lli.- rcsinf tlmt it had swept. everything he tore if. Freezing worky, sawmill:', etc., wore all within themyel ws, with the result that in Taranaki wan one of tin- itumL complete systems of co-operation in the world. He ventured to say ti.at. if a company was formed t.o raanev that the necessary money could l>e ;,.»t within a couple of hours. A hm-.e concern like the I>aii'V Ascii.iciaiion could not oiler them any more tnan what they could have llioniiu'lvmi. I hey had a bij.; enough district in a tart on a satisf; ict.ory ha, ii Mr M c I ,i' ai i sshed what was the difference to the ■ 1 red l V r ill '"'lmH'.llli: to a co-operative iu.itiUUioM aim supplying; the. Dairy A;i. ociafinn. Mr Ilodd ie repli.-l that he recently had the opportunity oi examinine, the balance sheets e! the I'air;,' Association and the httham I e rati\e Dairy Company. He i.ximi that taking the Kroaa return:! the balance ;,heof both were on a par. t'n analysr. oi payments to the smaller distnei.s the Association':! payments. were considerably leys. He thought U\.> Assoriafion would not .-tu it. as all I hey would do would be to erect, a creamery. I hey

j wanted a factory, in order that the I out-back settlers could, be catered for. ! They must have a factory on the spot. Representavives of Messrs Mason St rut tiers and -J. t>. MacEwan and Co. gave their views and stated that cloperatinun was the great essential ot the industry, if a guarantee of -100 cows was forthcoming, they need, have no fear of making a start. Major Lusk considered that the district was well aide to support a iacu»ry, and that it was in as good a position as those that were supporting them in other parts of the district. From ten to twelve miles of country could be tapped by the home separator scheme. [le was justified in believing that in a few years they would be milking three times 400 cows. Mr Boddie stated that the interests which he represented would supply from 150 cows. He was positive that a number of people would milk, when they were sure that a factory was going to be built. A fact that should not be lost sight of was that the factory would become their own. Arrangements could be made whereby a id per lb of the price of butter fat would be all that was required to go towards liquidating what would become their own. He had 110 doubt but that in years to come it would be the biggest blessing that a community could enjoy. (Applause.) Mr Steel said that the number of cows from his district would total 150, as far as lie knew at present. He was, however, sure that once others knew that the matter was being gone on with that they would make their arrange men ts accordingly. Mr Boddie said that the tendency of the age was towards monopoly. If people got into the hands of combinations then they would be dictated to and given what they liked. It was no visionary assertion, but was what was going 011 all around them. The question of whether other than suppliers should become shareholders was one that could be determined later. Some companies adopted the scheme, with the result that many were under no obligation to supply. It might be a good idea, but he thought it would not be wanted in this district. Mr R. M. Somerville proposed that a co-operative dairy company on the home separation system be established in To Kuiti. Seconded by Mr J. Steel and carried unanimously.

Mr Boddie proposed that in the opinion of this meeting the time had arrived when a co-operative dairy company should be started in Te Kuiti. Seconded by Mr Munroe and carried unanimously. The question of probable future development waa discussed, and the chairman had no hesitation in predicting that the second year would be a big advance on the first. His experience in Taranaki was that the increased supply year by year was never less than ten per cent. Mr P. R. Colebrook stated that he had always taken a keen interest in the district. He recounted what had been the issue regarding the dairying movement in this district during the past seven years. He referred to Mr Spragg's visit to the district, wanting farmers to join with him, which they did not. He thought it probably wise too. If the company decided that they would not have shares alloted to others than suppliers, his firm was willing to help in the matter of guarantee. Mr Boddie said he was sure that in a short time cream would be forthcoming from outside districts, just the same as cream was going from this district to Hamilton to-day. Mr T. E. Foy said that he had just come back from Waimiha, where the settlers had been talking to him on matters of dairying. He said he had advised them to supply the factory at Te Kuiti when started for the present. Mr Somerville proposed, and Mr Shaw seconded, that the following be a committee to ascertain the number of cows for supply, and to obtain the necessary guarantee of 500 cows: — Messrs J. Stsel, R. Self, Hardy, J. Boddie, R. M. Somerville, E. T. Lever and C. Harrison. Proposed by Mr Boddie and seconded by Mr Somerville, that upon the committee finding that they had got a guarantee of 500 cows the necessary steps be taken to form a company.— Carried.