CORRESPONDENCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 225, 17 January 1911, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE

ADVANCE TAKAXAKI! | To (he Editor. Sir,—The tendency nowadays of fill businesses of one description to combine or ' amalgamate with a view to economy of working expenses, betterment of trade, and, consequently, bigger profits, and tiie success of such 'amalgamation must, be apparent to everyone. -Believing that the majority of dairy farmers recognise tile benefit of co-operation, and also the benefit of amalgamation, I beg space to resurrect an idea relating to the dairy industry which, if given ell'ect to, will, I feel .-aire, result ill thousands of pounds being saved to the dairy farmer of Taranaki and cause a further stimulus to the dairy industry. .Some years ago (long before the farmers showed what they were capable of by erecting their own freezing works) a .Mr. Reynolds, a onetime big dealer in Xew Zealand butter, ventured the opinion that the dairy farmer would save thousands by the establishment of a huge butter-making plant at I or near the port, having the cream from all 'the present factories brought under one roof to be workid up. '.Since then, when such a proposal seemed impossible, great strides have been made in all branches, and there is no doubt a greater expansion can be looked for. I leave it to the suppliers of factories as to what it would mean to them if such a scheme were given eil'eet to. All the presenttime butter factories would simply bo creameries and more creameries could be erected, because the upkeep and building of large buildings would be avoided. The question of pasteurising skim milk would in -many cases be solved, and in other instances simplified, because the power used, for churning could be diverted for 1 the pasteuriser. The extension or replacing of machinery to meet increased output would not be required; a great saving in labor should also follow. The fuel bill should show a large decrease, as also a lot of incidental expenses attached to ] the manufacture of butter. Those factories who must in the near future rebuild or extend their buildings, or instal up-to-date churns, etc., would have less expense to bear; the best expert obtainable could supervise the making; and the whole of the butter would be of that uniformity that is needed to maintain a r regular and payable (figure at the world's market, while tho present system of marketing the produce would be knocked out and must result in benefit to all. 1 hardly thiink there is need to say much more—readers, I feel sure, will think it out for themselves—but I would like to add that it is no use people saying it can- , not >be done or that it cannot be made to pay. Omaha and St. Louis, in America, arc looked upon as the two places in the world where the greatest amount of butter is treated under one roof, the latter place receiving cream from over a lange* area than the whole of Taranaki, and treating over Ho,ooo,ooolbs of butter in a season. Again, Mr. Eames, in his admirable articles, "Our Staple Industries," mentions the ease of the Dairy Association in the Auckland district i bringing cream hundreds of miles by rail, j coach, boat, sledge, packhorse, etc., to the central factory, and it must follow, with the proximity of the majority of Taranaki's factories, etc., to the railroad, and also metalled roads, that the conditions are all in favor of a finality in eo-opera-tion regarding the dairying industry by the adoption of some such scheme as under notice. The item of railage should be considerably reduced. Instead of the boxes being railed, the timber could be taken to and manufactured into boxes on the spot; other requirements, such as salt, etc., would be landed at the door i practically, and the railage of those articles into the country districts would not be needed. There are many other ways where a saving would be effected, in some cases more than others. There i« also, a side issue to the subject that must be taken into consideration, i.e., the disposal of the by-product (or waste), butter-milk; and I see no reason why a ( piggery could not be attached to the con- ' cern, as the buttermilk could be placed a considerable distance by pipe-line. Tiiis would solve the difficulty experienced in . the past as to the co-operative bacon factory near the port. However, Mr. Editor, I have roughly stated the idea, and I hope some of those more competent than I will go into the figure part of the project, and evolve a scheme to submit to dairy farmers of the district. If we find co-operation a benefit, as it is, 1 want to know the reason why it cannot be carried to its finality, and that such a system will come, and the sooner the better, is my firm conviction. —I am, etc. JOE 13. SIMPSON. Durham Road, January 14.