DIVERSION OF SUPPLIERS

Southland Times, Issue 24877, 17 October 1942, Page 2

DIVERSION OF SUPPLIERS

EFFECT ON BUTTER FACTORY “In meeting you on the occasion of the twentieth general meeting of the company I have to admit to feeling a great sense of relief that the special conditions applying to this company's operations during past two years have come to an end, the chairman (Mr John Fisher) at th nual meeting of the Farmers’ Dairy Federation Ltd. yesterday. The meeting called for a week ago and lapsed for want of a quorum. Yesterday there was an attendance of only eight shareholders. “In a time of national emergency it is the duty of each and all to set aside as far as is humanly possible personal interests in the common cause of backing up country in its war effort,” he is not always easy either for the mdiviau or for industrial, commercial or manufacturing organizations to carry on successfu y under painful and exacting r ®S ulat J on f’ it is not to be wondered at if at.times the machinery becomes clogged and e P frayed. I had looked forward to twentieth year’s history of the company seeing an output of 1400 to 1500 tons butter, instead of which we have dr °PP ea back to little more than half, through no fault of policy or management, simply from the application of extraordinary condition arising from the war. It is a relief to know that as far as our company is concerned these conditions are lifted.” As a result of the drive for cheese the company had stood in the front line of assault and there was no precedent in me industry with which a comparison could be made. With the exception of one small operator the company stood alone surrounded by more than 50 cheese factories which stood along every artery of transport. To meet the urgent need for cheese called for by the British Government stringent and, in many instances oppressive, regulations were brought into operation by the Government to drain the utmost supply of milk to these cheese factories, irrespective of the results to individuals or to the butter factory. It was an extremely difficult matter to look complacently on at the steady and serious shrinkage of supply to the company and at times the utterances of the directors or management were perhaps not complimentary to those in authority. “Just on 500 suppliers were diverted from the federation and on the customary computation of one ton of butter being equivalent to two tons of cheese, it is fair to assume that one-third of the total increase in cheese production in the two years in Southland was made from butterfat diverted from the federation,” he said. “The drive for cheese has now ceased and the demand for butter has become urgent and it is reasonable to presume that the same energy by departmental officers will be exercised to induce suppliers who were lent to cheese factories to revert to the butter companies they were supplying before the cheese drive.” The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Messrs John Dunlop and R. S. Tait were re-elected to the directorate unopposed. Mr F. A. Webb was reappointed auditor. The chairman said it appeared impossible to secure a sufficient attendance at the annual meeting to comply with the articles of association. The directors would consider an alteration in the articles to be brought forward at a special general meeting or the next annual meeting. DUNEDIN MARKETS (P.A.) DUNEDIN, October 16. Odd lines of milling wheat are still arriving from the country, though it is now late in the season. Where the quality is satisfactory wheat is freely accepted by the millers. Deliveries of seed wheat are practically finished for the season as sowing operations are just about at an end. Stocks of fowl wheat are becoming short, but there appears to be sufficient to meet the demand until the new season’s harvest is available. Prices are steady at 5/10 sacks extra, ex store, for the best quality and for small lots ex store the quotation is 6/3 to 6/6 a bushel. Several thousand sacks of milling oats have recently been sold to millers throughout the South Island consequent on the Government’s having extended contracts for the supply of oatmeal. These sales have relieved the position in the stores to a certain extent, but there is still a fair quantity of oats, light in weight and slightly out of condition, held by farmers and merchants. The only demand for these is for feed purposes. The demand from the North Island is exceptionally quiet. The quotation for A Gartons f.o.b.s.i. is 4/- a bushel and for B’s f.o.b.s.i. 3/9. Undergrade lines are quoted at 3/3 to 3/6 a bushel. All the seed markets are quiet in the absence of an overseas demand. Reports state that there has been a considerable reduction in the sowing out of pastures for seed purposes, lack of labour and extensive cropping of wheat being the chief factors in this reduction. OPOSSUM SKIN SALE (Special) DUNEDIN, October 16. The Dunedin Stock Agents’ and Woolbrokers’ Association reports that the first opossum skin sale of the season was held today when an offering of approximately 122,000 skins was submitted to a fair attendance of exporters and furriers. Because of the mild season experienced generally throughout the trapping period, the quality of the skins was far below last year's standard, there being fewer supers and firsts offering. The demand for export to the United States (which is now the only market for opossum skins) was confined to greys, blues, red necks and rustys, and taking into consideration the quality values were on the average 20 per cent, to 30 per cent, lower than the rates quoted last November. Competition for blacks was restricted and when sold these colours were fully 25 per cent, to 30 per cent, lower. Three-quarter grown skins, smalls, thirds and damaged, rough, stale, tanned, salted and weevily skins were practically unsaleable. A large proportion of the catalogue was passed and it is hoped to make sales later by private treaty. The best price paid for blues was up to 18/11. greys to 8/8, greys (rusty) to 7/6, red necks to 7/11, browns to 6/4, blacks to 4/9. GORE HORSE SALE About 40 Korses were offered at the monthly horse sale conducted by Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., in their horse bazaar, Gore, yesterday. There was a poor attendance of buyers at the sale and the demand was slack. There were several passings. Top price of the sale was £l7, which was paid for a seven-year-old mare offered on account of Mr John Wilson, Knapdale, the purchaser being Mr William McDonald, Christchurch. Other guaranteed sorts brought from £l2 to £l5: aged sorts carrying guarantees from £8 to £l2 and inferior horses from £3 to £5. With one or two exceptions the quality of the hacks forward was poor and in this section the demand was also slack. A three-year-old hack with saddle and harness guarantees: brought £l2/12/- and a five-year-old sort sold at £ll/10/-. STOCK EXCHANGES DUNEDIN.—SaIes reported: National Insurance £l/1/-; South British £3/4/-; Union Bank £7/10/-; New Zealand Refrigerating (cont.) 10/3. AUCKLAND.—SaIes: War Loan 1953 £92 15/-: Commercial Bank 14/8; National Bank of New Zealand £2/5/-: National Insurance £l/1/3; Farmers’ Auctioneering (A pref.) £l/3/I’/a: United Building £1: Northern Steam 5/-; A.C.I. £2/8/-; Colonial Sugar £52; Consolidated Brick 7/6; Reid Rubber (new issue) £l/2/6. CHRISTCHURCH.—SaIes: Bank of New Zealand £2/2/- (2); Union Bank of Australia £7/7/-. Sales reported: South British £3/4/6; Kaiapol (7/- paid) 6/lfli/a; Beaths £l/2/-; Booth. Macdonald (pref., cum div.) 6/11, 7/-; Broken Hill Proprietary (late Thursday) £l/19/9; Mount Lyell £l/7/9.