SHANNON DAIRY COMPANY, LIMITED

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 478, 9 September 1909, Page 3

SHANNON DAIRY COMPANY, LIMITED

(Own Correspondent.)

The Shannon Dairy Company, Ltd., with branch creameries at Moutoa and Foxton, has been in existence less than twelve months. Hitherto the New Zealand Farmers’ Dairy Union had manufactured their output of butter at the Palmerston North factory. The term of agreement having expired, the Shannon factory was opened on the ist inst., under the able management of Mr James Aim. To mark this event the directors, Messrs Law (chairman), Kilsby, Taylor, G. O. and W. E. Barber, Wallace and Eastwood, invited the suppliers and shareholders to afternoon tea on Saturday, at the factory. Before partaking of the liberal “spread,” Mr Law was called upon to pull the lever and put the machinery in motion. The new Topless combined churn and butter worker, recently installed, was a source of interest to the large number of guests who endeavoured to see the process of up-to-date butter-making. It was only a few minutes before the cream granulated. The door was then opened, and the rollers of the butter-worker were passed into the churn, which fed the worker in a clever and uniform manner that we will not stop to describe, but the whole thing does credit to the genius of 4 an inventor of this Dominion. Several other improvements have been installed in the factory, bringing it right up-to-date. These were duly examined, and afternoon tea followed. |JMr E. Law addressed those present, suggesting that the gathering be made an annual function. He traced the history of the company to the present time, urging settlers to be loyal to their own co-operative concern. The market outlook, he said, was bright, and the prices for the coming season was most encouraging. He then called upon Mr Venn, who gave a most interesting address upon the advantages of cooperation. After a “camera fiend” had a few “shots,” the stolid rustics turned their faces homeward to the “cowbyres,” having enjoyable afternoon. Not only Shannon, but Foxton and Moutoa were well represented at the gathering. It may be well to say a word or two in favour of co-operative dairying, as some suppliers imagine that proprietary concerns are preferable to co-operation. Such arguments, upon investigation, will not hold water. A few years ago proprietary companies did well, particula-ly in the Auckland province, but co-operation, and nothing but co-operation, will be countenanced by the dairy men of Taranaki and the Forty-Mile-Bush,