STRATFORD DAIRY COMPANY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 92, 27 July 1910, Page 7

STRATFORD DAIRY COMPANY

The annual meeting of siiareiiolders j of the Stratford Farmers' Co-operative Dairy Association, Ltd., was held in the old Masonic Hall, Stratford, on Monday. ■ There was a large attendance of suppliers. Mr. R. Dingle (chairman of di- j sectors) presided. The report, a precis j of which appeared id| our yesterday's issue, was adopted. The chairman stated that eight years ago, after acquiring the business of the Crown Dairy Co., the overdraft had been about £13,000, and a,t a time when it was extremely difficult to finance. Now it was amy about £3OO, and lie was pleased to be able to tell them that in a few weeks' time the company would, 'for the first »tune in its history, have a credit balance at its bankers. ' They had not only paid off their overdraft, but had £lll3 in the Freezing Company, and £ll2O to credit in the Box Company, and in addition had added machinery to the piant to the value of at least £2OOO. Mr. Dingle said they were now a consigning firm, and he thought the time would come when the whole of tlve Dor minion would be sending their butter to the Monte markets through their Associations. There were people even Ml Stratford who decried the Association, but how were they to arrange nor the shipping and handling of their butter without centralising or forming some sort of association? He also refer,red to what had been done in the direction of purchasing fertilisers through the Association, and claimed that the Association had brought down the price of slag 0 the fanner. All they wanted wa,s a little more confidence in their directors. Lalst year tilvev sent their stuff Home through the Nation.il Dairy Association, and got a rebate of £l4O, instead of having to pay a selling commission. Referring to tiie carting of cream, the chainman said 'various' schemes had been considered to lessen cost.

The time would come, he thought, wilnen they would have to test theii dairy herds, and if the Agricultural Department was prepared to undertake this important work without cost, the settlers ought to be very glad to accept the offer. Dairy fanners would have to | get rid of the wasters from' their herds. They tod consigned tihe season's output of butter to Messrs. Pearson and Ruttelr, for the good reason that the conditions and terms offered the company by this firm were better than those offered by other firms. In conclusion he congratulated them om the fact that they had a very good season. They had now a £60,000 turnover, and' he felt sure they could make a £IOO,OOO turnover from the same area. They must advance and make two blades of grass grow where one had grown in the past. At present they had only smutched much of their lawl.

In reply to a question, the chairman said there was a scheme 011 foot to get the commission reduced below the *3 per cent, now paid. Some discussion took place on the dismissal of . a creamery manager. The chairman explained that the manager's recommendations with regard to the reinstatement or dispensing, with employees was usual'v followed by the directors. It would be absolutely disastrous to give reasons for the dismissal of individual employees. In this instance the creamery manager had been under contract, and had rjot been re-engaged. The matter then dropped. Messrs. R. Dingle, 11. Watson and A. Stewart were then elected' to fill the vacancies on the directorate, and Mr. T. dlarry Penni was re-elected auditor. The usual honorarium was voted to the chairman.

Eulogistic reference was made to the good 1 work done by the secretary. PASTEURISATION. M>r. DaW!, of Weddell and Co., iLondon, gave ian address on the advantages otf pasteurisation from the point o( view of one interested in the butter trade in Britain. The address was attentively listened to, and at its conclusion a resolution was unanimously carried recommending the directors to put in an up-to-date pasteurising plant forthwith. Mr. R. Dingle was re-elected clink man of directors.