CO-OPERATIVE FRUITGROWERS

Mt Benger Mail, 26 October 1938, Page 3

CO-OPERATIVE FRUITGROWERS

ANNUAL MEETING HELD AT ALEXANDRA The Co-operative Fruitgrowers of Otago Ltd. held its Twenty-first annual meeting of members at Alexandra on the 29th September, 1938.

Mr J. Bennetts, President of the Committee of Management, presided, and 75 members were represented by personal attendance and proxies. Mr W. Bringans, Mayor of Alexandra, welcomed the members and wished them a good meeting and also complimented the Society on attaining its majority. It spoke well for the unanimity that existed amongst the fruitgrowers in Central Otago.

The chairman thanked the Mayor for his welcome and expressed his appreciation of the good attendance of members. He regretted that since last annual meeting the death had been recorded of Mr A. Ashworth, a member of the Committee of Management, and Mr H. Brady, of Roxburgh, Mr J. Thinnings, of Alexandra, Mr V. A. Fenwick, of Alexandra, Mr M. P. McGinnis, of Earnseleugh, and Mr W. Annan, of Clyde all having been members of the Society since its formation.

He invited members to stand in respect to their memory. The report and balance sheet of the Society for the year ending 1938 was submitted to the meeting and its adoption was approved. The retiring members of the committee, Messrs Bennetts, Thomson and' Weaver, and the retiring auditors, Messrs Taverner and McHutcheon were i’e-eleeted. The chairman gave a resume of his interview with the Minister for Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, regarding the fruit industry, when in Wellington attending the annual conference of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation. Mr W. B. Taverner, one of the Society’s auditors, referred to the progress of the Society which showed an improvement upon the previous year and complimented the members upon their support to the Society. A vote of thanks to the committee, and staff concluded the meeting.

ANNUAL REPORT In meeting you to-day we regret to have to report the death of Mr Ashworth, who was amongst the early pioneers of the Society, and a member of the committee of management from the date of its registration. During the year death has claimed several members of the Society, in the persons of Mr J. Timmings, Alexandra, Mr V. A. Fenwick, of Butcher’s Gully, Mr M. P. McGinnis, of Barnscleugh, Mr W. Annan, of Clyde, and Mr H. Brady, of Rorburgh, all of whom were members from its commencement.

In presenting the annual report and balance sheet of the Co-opera-tive Fruitgrowers of Otago Ltd., for the year 1938, we take the liberty of referring to several matters of interest.

The Society has attained its majority, this being the twentyfirst year of its existence. While a profit is shown on the year’s turnover, though not great, it is an improvement on last year. Fruitgrowers in many districts during the year have experiened disappointments through adverse climatic conditions, and which have affected the turnover in the markets, fruit being in short supply, and in some instances not up to the standard of former seasons in quality. At the beginning of the season it had been expected that the Internal Marketing Branch would have taken part in the distribution of local fruits, but so far it has not yet done so, probably the organising of the banana and orange distribution has taken up tre Board’s attention during the year. The necessity still exists for the organisation of the stone and pip fruits distribution, and it is hoped that steps will be taken toward obtaining an improvement in prices. Apple and Pear Export Consequent upon the decision of Otago growers to fall in with the rest of the Dominion to export their fruit under the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board, the Otago Shipping Committee was asked to again supervise export arrangements for the season. Your Society handled on behalf of its members a total of 5587 cases of apples and 1187 cases of pears. Reports of prices received on the English markets appear satisfactory. Final accounts will not be made up by the Board until the end of the year when all returns are to hand. In addition to the fruit and produce sales, a Flower Sales deartment has been added to the operations of the Society and is well patronised by florists. To assist the Society We advise our members to send along consignments of flowers.

We again invite our members to •support the Society by consigning their consignments to those agents who are appointed, by the Society. We appreciate the help given by members who last season observed our suggestion to instruct agents