THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO With which is incorporated. "The Kaipara Advertiser & Waitemata Chronicle" Helensville, Thursday, July 4, 1918. PROPOSED NEW INDUSTRY

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 4 July 1918, Page 2

THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO With which is incorporated. "The Kaipara Advertiser & Waitemata Chronicle" Helensville, Thursday, July 4, 1918. PROPOSED NEW INDUSTRY

[Ooatribured]

A large and represoniaVive j meeting, the outcome of which | promises to bo of great import- \ anceto Helen sviiie and hhe whole ! of the Kaipara district, took j placrt at the Agricultural Hail, i Helensvilie. on Wednesday, SGth I Juii c. Mr 0. Thorn so n .Oh aLrm a, n j of the Kaipara Co-operative Dairy | Factor?/ Co., being Chairman, I Mr Thorn sou slated that the j meeting- had been called in order | that the.Directors of his Company j could lay before the farmers of j , the district the latest, and reliable [ information re&T.rding the \xvvr j | branch of the dairying industry : j j Miik Powder. He then went j over the matter generally, stating j that it was proposed to establish I a Milk Powder plant in con nee- i I tion with the Company's present j j Butter' Factory if thoso present! j gave the project their support.. !Of the various grades of -Milk Powder made the one known as Skimmed Milk Powder was the most suitable for the district. The present price in London was 160s per cwt, and the demand was practically unlimited. The 1 Dairy Division of the Agricultural Department gave the following figures ,as returns from a given quantity of milk: —Butter 6s 3d ; cheese 8s 4d ; milk powder 14s. The cost of making milk ■nowcior was about 3d per Ib. The most reliable estimate of the cost of machinery, building, etc, was, for a plant capable of dealing with milk from 3000 cows, about £25,000, and as it was estimated that this number of cows would be available it was proposed to erect the factory as early as possible. The miik w.ould be received at the factory j by rail or road, separated, and "the. cream transferred to the butter factory. The skimmed j miik then being made into | powder. j The financial proposals were | that intending suppliers oFmilk j would sign a Bond to the Union Bank of Australia securing the funds to be advanced. Later the i liability would bo put on a share basis by the issue of share capital as required. In view of the high prices at present ruling for the product and the possibility that they not remain afc the same I high level, it was proposed to j make such a deduction from ptyi mente for milk supplied as would j pay off the cost of the factory in about two years. For this reason any coming in as suppliers after the schema was in operation •would bo asked to pay a heavy premium on doing so. The exact amount of such premium could j not be accurately given. But as a. man coming in after the factory had been running for say two ; years, would bo joining a paid-up '' company and taking a share; in-.-> ! £35,000 concern, it would easily ; ho seen that'he would, in.' justice j to those whose property It 'was, !be called on to pay a, heavy S premium. I A discussion fjtisnfid regarding I a supply of milk from farmer j north of HelensviHe, and eoiudd-:-i?rable dissatisfaction was sitowii ■ with the present train service., j which' thv-eatenerl to .y^v,"^*- : ;.':. •.■::•;; "\; .--fi^id that the find no .:;.; •'.,•[' Lhe new project would not ■ i; allowed to imperil the present Company and the Butter Factory. The accounts of each would be kept quite apart. Mr Thomson, replying to a I qu»st-,ion, save o : rticulars re~ g-irdiri'.? the -T ■< v ?<\ advance by the Bank >' r.'ie necessary funds. . " Mr T. Mcludoe, in a stirring

speech, strong) y advocated the

project and reviewed the situation va me Waikato district whore tens of thousands were being expended on the new industry- The project was not an experiment but a sound business proposition, and he advised immediate action in ordering the necessary machinery, etc., and in conserving the business for their Co-operative Company, thereby securing the whole of any profits for themselves.

Mr Aitkenhead, Chairman of the Waitemata County Council, stated that he intended to support the project. On the question of carting milk and the state of the roads being raised, Mr Aitkenhead stated that if the project became a fact the road would be there to enable farmers "to bring in their milk. The Chairman, replying to Mr Gross, stated that the question of the proposed factory being charged a rent for the sice on the land now ownad by the Dairy Company would b« a matter of accountancy," arid with "other adjustable matters could by left over for the present. Mr J. H, Hudson moved and Mr U, Hoe seconded -1' That the Director* of the Kaipara Cooperative Dairy Company Ltd., establish a Milk Powder Factory oil their :-i.'re at Holensvilie South." Tins was carried unanimously.

Mr J. C. Rimmer moved and Mr H. P. McLeod seconded — v That this raeetinp; agrees to sign a. joint and several gaanmtee to the Union Bank, of Australia to finance the Milk Powder factory." —-CMrried. Mr J. H. Hudson moved and Mr J. C. Rimmor yecondorl— " 'f.'fi;:.fc sappiters to i\\& Milk Pow'-i.-ii1 factory auree to sigti a bond to supply for two years the mi.ik from 3000 cows." —Carrier!. The meeting was rriosf; enthuai•astic t.hroaglioufc, the number of questions put and answered, and the attention given to trie speakers evidencing a deep interest in the subject.