CLEVEDON.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 185, 23 June 1916, Page 2

CLEVEDON.

FARMERS' (INK »N l^'l'lN( j

A meeting of the Cieml-m branch of the Farmers' Onion was held iu the Public Hall on Saturday evening last The members present were: Messrs 0. A. Fawoett president), J. Shaw, 0. 0 Munro, H J. Bull, N. .T. Sutherland, P. C. Waters. J. Hancock, S A Browne, D. M. Bryan, A. D. Bell, W. T. Bell and J. A. Gandy (secretary). The secretary reported that iu reply to his letter to the Department <>f Agriculture re tlio reducing of the number of lectures in connection with the proposed clashes in shoepbreeding and wool-classing, the Department wrote stating it was now too late to form a class as the proposed lecturer was now fully ongaged for some time to couio, and thanking the secretary for the trouble ho had gone to in trying to get a class together.—lt was resolved that the formation of this class be abandoned for the present.

The secretary, as one of tho delegates, gave his report of tho proceedings at the annual conference of the Auckland Province of tho Farmers' Union, hold iu Auckland last month, and stated that he considered the work dono to be most satisfactory from his point of view as representing the Clevedon branch. He also stated that he had attended tho annual meeting of tho Farmors' Union Trading Association, aud outlined the proposed schema of reorganisation of the Association, which he considered most sound and should induce many of tho ordinary members of the Union to become members of the Trading Association also, and so help themselves aud tho farmers generally by putting the middleman's profits into the faruioro' pockets.—A vote of thanks to the delegates to tho conference (Mr (J A. Fawcett aud the secretary) for the trouble they had taken in attending and reporting ou same was carried by acclamation. It was resolved that u sub-com-mittee should be formed to consider the formation of a class for instruction in book-keeping of a form suitable to enable the new income tax returns sheets to be correctly tilled in by those farmers who had not up to now kept books in the usual commercial manner.

It was decided to approach the Bank of New Zealand on the <(ue.v « tion of opening a branch at Cleve- I don.

DAIRY SUPPLIERS' MEETING.

As briefly reported in our issue of Friday last a meeting of the Clevedon Butter Factory suppliers was held on Saturday, the 10th inst., when arrangements for next season's management of the factory wero detailed by Mr H. E. Pacey, Managing Director of the New Zealand Dairy Association. Mr A. Bell presided over a good attendance.

At the outset of his address Mr Pacey said he wished to refer to certain statements, as reported in the "Pulcekoho Times," made at another meeting of suppliers held recently at Clevedon. In his opinion the cream could be manufactured more cheaply in the district than it could be if carted to Papakura and then railed to Mercer. At present the butter-fat sent to Mercer had the disadvantage of ]d per lb, plus cost of cartage, or an additional Jd per lb fat. Referring to the Dairy Association's policy at Onewhero, as criticised by Mr Dynes Fulton, Mr Pacey said that his Association purchased the Onewhero factory as a creamery at a creamery price, and they ran it as a creamery until pros- <i» sure was brought about by tho suppliers themselves, in which Mr Dynes Fulton played a very prominent part, and it was decided to shift tho creamery to a site only a short distance away. It Wets never intonded or suggested that the storo should be run at Onewhero, At Ilunua, tho Association leased the creamery part of the butter factory, and they wero still ruuning that as a creamery. Tho fact that three suppliers loft tho Tuakau creamery last November was caused through the Association j not removing the Creamery Manager, at the request of three sup- I pliers as against the wish of about thirty odd satisfied suppliers to retain him. The Creamory Manager, these three suppliers contended, was an enemy subject. In reality he was a Dalmatian, and ho had since been accepted for service and was now fighting with "our boys " at tho front (Applause). He asked was it a fair thing to remove a man whom thirty odd suppliers desired should be retained and only three suppliers thought should be re- ,*, moved 'i

Mr Pacey went on to say that his Association, at the request of tho suppliers, had decided to take over, at an early date, the butter business in Clevedon of the late Mr McXnight, but it was not the intention of the Association to continue the store. The Clevedon factory would be run, and the only difference between it and other factories of the Association would be a difference of [i ]>or lb on tho butter-fat supplied to Clevedon. It was the intention of tho Association to increase the output of the factory during the coming soason. Mr Pacey strongly advised the settlers of Clevedon to pull together, and if they did so lie considered Clovodon would bo a district second to none. Cream collecting services would be arranged for each district, and tho cost of the service would bo a charge against the suppliers using such service. The whole of tho cirtage arrangements would bo gone into immediately and if in any district the cost of the service was too expensive lie advised the suppliers to take week about and \ deliver their own cream to tho factory. Ho further emjhasised the need of using every caroo -produce a good article and if the suppliers would do that ho promised that tho Association would do its share to manufacture a butter worthy of Clevedon. The Association paid a uniform rate for all first grade cream delivered at a central factory or railway station, plus a premium of a Idfor daily and !,d for diroet dolivorv. A \ 1 was doducted for second grade and a further deduction of a Jd for third grade cream. Mr Pacey, in conclusion, said that the late Mr McKnight had kept the flag

flying when larger and more prosperous concerns had gone to the wall Clevedon people should stand to gether and rt-tain the factory as a memorial to its late owner. (Applausdk, / asked whether it was a iaot that a large proportion of the cream received by the Dairy Association during the past season had been graded second-class. Mr Pacey : That certainly is not correct. The proportion of second grade' would be about one per cent. Mr Fawcett stated that all farmers who were not careful should be second graded, and if this did not bring about the desired result their cream should not be accepted by the Dairy Companies. He further said that the cream was being carted to Papakura at a ]d per lb butter-fat for all cream on the Papakura side of Clevedon, and at a .]d per lb butter-fat for all cream beyond the depot. On being asked if he thought the present rate would cover the cost of the service, Mr Fawcett replied that he Hid not think it would. Mr Fawcett was then asked how long that service would continue to be subsidised, and he replied that he did not know.

Mr Gibbs said that the people of Clevedon resembled so many sheep, goats and unicorns, and what Mr Pacey should endeavour to do was to sift the shoep from the goats and unicorns, as a lot of them were only a drawback to the prosperous little distrtct of Clevedon. They had a good proposition now before them, and it was up to everyone to support it. (Applause). A hearty vote of thanks to Mr Tacey was carried by acclamation.

Building operations are in full swing hereandatOtau (Mounioukai) Miss Taylor is having a new house built, as also are Messrs Keany Bros. Miss Thorp contemplates erecting two cottages and a new and up-to-date bungalow is being built to the order of Mr 1). McKenzie on his section near the Public Hall. It is also whispered that Clevedonites are going to speculate in a Manse all their very own.

A correspondent writes : The suggested lamp to light the dangerous corner at the Post Office, is coming in the sweet bye and bye. Wake up Clevedon.