The Pig Question

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4376, 20 February 1909, Page 3

The Pig Question

A CO-OPERATIVE FACTORY,

A MEETING of farmers was held (says the “ Eltham Argus)” at Otakeho, recently, to consider the possibility of formulating some scheme whereby an improvement in the price of pigs might be effected. Mr Cunnabell, who convened the meeting, expres fid the opinion that the Mokoia breeders had start eu in the wrong direction. He thought tha f if a fanners’ factory was established it should he on as large a scale as possible, and it should be near a port and a railway. He thought that the proposal to join in with the Eltham Company might suit for a time, but it would eventually fill through. He favoured the establishment of a large factory at Wanganui or Patea, where there would be. no trouble about drainage, and where the size of the factory would enable the services of the men best qualified for the management to be obtained. He complained that the farmers hid not being fairly treated, and said it was a question whether they would not have to put up with similar treatment again.

In the course of a discussion the chairman said he thought the byproducts would be better used at a place like Patea than at Eltham, and Mr Lyne considered it would be advisable to ‘give Eltham a trial for twelve months.

Mr McNeill said the price of pigs was a matter of great importance to dairymen iu Taranaki at the present time. He referred to the introduction of regulations to their industries,.and said it was only a question of time before farmers would nor, be allowed to take back- whey or skim-milk from the factories, in the cans in which milk was conveyed to the factory. To meet such a contingency, the speaker advocated pig farms near tho factories, on co-operative lines, and the pi oceeds from the sale of the pigs to be added to the suppliers’ milk cheques. Eventually the following resolution wus carried unanimously, Mr Cunnabell being appointed delegate That this meeting appoint a delegate to confer with representatives of Mokoia and other districts, and instructs such delegate to favour the erection of a large cooperative factory at Patea or Wanganui.”