PARAPARAUMU CHEESE FACTORY.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 20 October 1920, Page 3

PARAPARAUMU CHEESE FACTORY.

; ANNUAL MEETING OF SHARE- \ i HOLDERS. ' The annual meeting of shareholders !of the Paraparaumu Co-op. Cheese . Factory was held on Friday evening | last, when there was a record attend- • uncc of suppliers. Mr L. I. Howell, chairman of directors, presided, and | welcomed several new suppliers. The report of the directors stated that the ! past season was a record one, the out- : put being 92J tons of cheese, which | realised nearly £3OOO. Suppliers wore j paid Is lOd per lb butter-fat, and a j further 3d per lb was placed into a re- , 1 serve fund, to be credited pro rata to : each supplier, toward the new factory. j The average test was 3.9,1, being lower ! that the previous season's average. i which was 4.05. A fine site of live j acres has been secured for a new fac- • tory, with a comfortable residence [ ! (now occupied by the manager) > thereon. The present season's cheese I has been sold through Messrs Nathan and Co. at Is 2d per lb in the grading I store, Wellington, being fully equal to j Is 2Jd f.o.b. ship, without the risk of j waiting for shipping space. This was ■ considered a very satisfactory sale by I those present. The number of direc- ! tors was increased from five to six, so I that, with the director appointed to | represent the W.D.F.A., the total rnuu . ber on the board is now seven. The election of directors resulted in i Messrs W. H. Potts, J. Strawbridge, and J. Mahoney being elected to the. three vacancies for a term of two j cars, and Mr A. Hardham was elected ior a term of one year to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr .J. 11. Baucke.

In answer to an inquiry from Mr Potts as to what fodder may be fed to milking cows without tainting the milk, the secretary stated that he had written to Mr Cuddie, of the Department of Agriculture, and he had replied that swedes and rape should not be fed to milking cows cither for ■.■■ hole milk or for cheese inuking. i'urnips and cabbage under certain conditions would also slightly taint i lie milk.

On the motion of Mr J. Straw-bridge, the directors w-ere recommended to insure the cheese from the factory to ihe grading store. On the motion of Mr S. Cummins it was decided to recommend to the directors that a "Cow Testing Association" be formed in connection with the factory.

A pleasing interlude wos the presenlation of a case of pipes to Mr Marlcy, the late secretary of the W.D.F.A., as a small taken of appreciation of his efforts on behalf of the suppliers. A motion was carried expressing the opinion that "This meeting of dairy farmers does not consider Mr W. T. Strand a fit and proper person to remain a director of the W.D.F.A . and asks its representative on the board of directors to bring this matter before the board at its next meet-

Consideration was then given to the vexed question of town supply Of winter milk. The secretary detailed efforts which had been made to secure expert inspection of the scales at the receiving depot. Wellington. After much correspondence a report by Professor Marsden was received which wholly confirmed the contentions of the directors of the W.D.F.A. that the scales did not weigh correctly, and that the difference was against the supplier. Professor Marsden reported that he had visitcd the city milk depot and tested the scales used for the measurement of milk supplied to the Council. Two scales are apparently used, marked to weigh from 0 to 50 gallons. On tho first day'= test the scale on tho right gave consistent readings. One part in 41 too low. i.e., the supplier i? credited with less milk in the ratio of one gallon in 41. Between 41 and 50 an additional area of one-quarter gal- ; lon was recorded. The left scale, although slightly irregular, was found to be correct to one quart throughout the range 0 to 45 gallons. Between 45 and 50, however, as in the case of the right scale, there was a falling off of one quart, the error being against the supplier. The scales were tested again the following day, and in the meantime they had been overhauled and cleaned. The error of the right scale was then found to bo only 1 part in j SO to 40 gallons and from 40 to 50 I gallons the extra error was as on the |. previous test. He adjusted the scales s 0 j that they were both correct, between 0 and 45 gallons to within a quart in ■ each case. The error of one quart I against the suppliers betweec 45 and |SO still remains on both scales. The j right hand scale has been incorrect by 1 part in 41 against the supplier, with an additional error of a quart for I reading greater than 45 gallons. Both ! scales' as now adjusted are sensibly corrcet between 0 and 45 gallons, and ought only to be used between those limits. . ' The matter was discussed, and pro- | bably some further action will be taken re the matter. The. meeting closed -with votes of thanks to the directors for their work during the past season. Mr A. Johnson, who has proved an efficient and capable manager for the past three seasons, has been retained for the present year.