THE BACON INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 233, 14 October 1901, Page 2

THE BACON INDUSTRY.

IMPORTANT MEETING Or DELEGATES. As tho outcome of the meetings we have report! from time to time to consider working the bacon industry on the co-opsrative principle, an important meeting of delegates, elected to represent various localities round the mountain, was held in New Plymouth oa Friday. The following were the delegate* present with the localities represented : —Messrs Burgess, Warn; Greenway, Okato; Wright, Rihotu; j Stevenson, Opunake; Sexton, Kaponga; McCracken, Eltham; Morris, Oakum; Muir, Te fioti. Inglewood and Waitira were also informally represented. Mr Drake and Mr Monteath were also present. Mr Burgees was voted to the chair, and spoke of the benefit of co-operative verm* proprietary faotoiies. He referred to the success of the co-operative system in connection with the dairying industry, and said if the farmers ever hoped to get the full benefit of the bacon industry it would be by working it on the co-operative' principle. In bis opinion it must come if the industry wa« to succeed. He then asked Mr Draka to address the meeting. Mr Drake thanked4he delegates for the trouble they had take"B-4n coming to New Plymouth, and said Mr-Mon-teith was representing him in the matter. Mr Monteath stid that Mr Drake's reaeon for approaching them was that the buiiness had got too large for bis capital, and he thought it only fair, instead of forming a company, to offer the farmers, who had so loyally supported him during the time he bad been in the business, the opportunity of taking it over and carrying on the business on the cooper*t ve principle. To make the affair a success, and deal with the increasing trade, killing stations were now needed, involving considerable outlay. He would be glad to give them any information ttosy required regarding the business. Replying to questions by Messrs Stevenson, Sexton and others, Mr •Monteath said the capacity of the works was 1000 pigs per month, and there was storage ojpaoity for 3000 pigs. If worked by water power it was probable that a saving of £ll6 a year wou'd be made. Including killing stations probably £SOO a year would be saved. The cost of steam was not so great as it wis, as Mokau coal was now obtainabl* for 19s 64 per ton. . Mr Drake had been in the business here four years. L<wt year he sold £8476 worth of bacon, etc, the cost of working being £7768, having a profit of £7OB. Tee estimated cost of establishing killing stations was £IOOO each. Mr Drade was williog to sell for £4250, tfais including goodwill and two acres of land; an additional two acres of land could be obtained at £6O an Here. The new Act regarding slaughterhouses did not affect them, as bacon facto ies were exempt. Killing stitions would be erected', and »h r. s mu»t be held on tie basis of the number of pigs supplied. Mr Drake wes willing to leave £SOO in the business. The railage on rough salted pigs was 6s 8d per ton from Eltham, while ths> railage on cured bacon was 18a (id for four cases of four pigs each- Therailag* 'oo live pig* was lis for 84or 32s per truck of 50. Kegardiug the risk of tainted bacon, Mr Drake said out of 4000 pigs lass E»r only four tids*, one middle, tares gs, and eight shoulders wen affected. These wete of the value of £l3 and all sold locally at 6d per lb. While he had been in business hen hs had secured 32 first prisa, which were all on exhibition at too factory. After the delegates had made a thorough inspection of the factory at Fifaroy, it was decided th it Mr Monte ith should supply each delegate with a copy of a duly certified balance-sheet which tbey would lay before meetings to be called by them at the different centres.