DAIRY FACTORY COMPANIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 199, 12 August 1908, Page 4

DAIRY FACTORY COMPANIES

ANNUAL MEETINGS. . KLTHA.M, (From Our Own Oorrei«pondeut). The annual meeting of the filthaui Dairy Company was irold on Saturday. Air. X. 0. Hodgson, chairman o£ directors, presided. About seventy, shareholders attended. In moving the adoption of the annual report and balancesheet, the chairman remarked on the fact that during toe past year the output liad suffered an unprecedented reduction of 98 tons, owing to the unfavourable weather during the greater part of last season. In conscquencv, the cost of manufacture had increased from 1.13 d to 1.28 d equal to a total of £.>!)2. He explained that the directors had sold tliis year owing to losses made by consigning in the previous years, but owing to the extraordinary conditions butter had this year fetched a phenomenal price. The local market, however, had helped the company somewhat to retrieve tile position. He referred to the exorbitant demand.; now Demg made by the employees' union, which, lie said, if acceded to would certainly crippie the industry and result in many of bhe Small factories having to close up and farmers would have to result to home separation. When tin? new factory was completed they would u j e water power, and hoped to save £4OO or £SOO a rear thereby. He also spoke of the government inspection of yards, and referred with regret to the increase of abortion and sterility in the dairy herds. The want of care by farmers was to be deplored. He. added I that ever-changing population would I not add to the better fanning of the district, and he would point out that land at the present prices could return interest with cows whose returns only averaged ISOlbs. of butter-fat, as was done by most of the csws in that district. He reminded farmers, too. that high-priced ea-llb Mersoys particularly) are essentially stock that paid for specially good treatment. The voting for directors was as follows:—T. O. Hodgson. 502: A. Scrivener, 400; I!. -T. Knuckev. T. W. Oorbett, 330: B. Dive, 2.T>: A. Kemp. ]7-2; 11. C. Sergei, 1G0: C. White, 122. The first four were elected. Tile directors were given a free hand ill disposing of the output. At a subsequent meeting of the directorate Mr. T. 0. Hodgson was reelected chairman.