"NOT A GROCERY STORE.”

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 297, 18 July 1929, Page 1

"NOT A GROCERY STORE.”

DAIRY COMPANY TRADING. Hinuera Discussion. A shareholder of the Hinuera Dairy Company, speaking at the annual meeting, urged that the directors extend their trading operations to cover further wants of the farmers. He stated that in regard to a certain article he had paid 6d in this district and had found he ! could obtain the same article at five for Is in Auckland.

Mr. Corry (director), replying, stated that he was totally opposed to

an extension of the trading operations. They were running a butter factory and not a grocer’s shop.

The chairman stated that if the board were to do as requested they would have to put a man on and open a store. They were already doing between £4OOO and £SOOO a

year in the trading department. Mr. Cotter remarked that he was not against wholesale trading, but it was more important that the board savt a Id in the cost of manufacture.

in buying such lines as manure and implements the board was on safe ground because they could purchase in bulk and for cash.

Mr. P. Hawke (director) gave shareholders to understand that he was strongly in favour of the directors trading in bulk goods and implements, when they could save farmers from 15 to 20 per cent. There were so many rings and combines exploiting the farmer that they had to protect their interests. He was informed that a meeting of manufacturers and others interested was to be held shortly to consider plans for preventing dairy companies trading, and it was the directors’ duty to protect the farmer as far as they could.

The matter was not further pressed, the general opinion of tne meeting being that all trading that was necessary was now being done.