Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 104, 18 September 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

I'i'oi.M our resident reporter. CO-OP. DAIRY COMPANY. ANNUAL MF.KTINT! OF SHAIIEIIOLDERS. ! annual meeting of shareholders of the Ngaire Cooperative Dairy Company at tlx; factory yesterday was not Jari'elv attended, perhaps owing to the cal? of the herd. I nit more probably on account of the political fever raging within a few mileri of the factory. Mr. Win. Morison. ch-airman of directors, presided over a meeting' of twenty shareholders. The Chairman moved the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, and invited discussion.

j -Mr. \\. 11. Jones asked for ail explanation of the item in the liabilities "bal- | anee, ±"042 19s ,'id." Was there another £9-12 to come to the shareholders? The secretary explained that this £942 was in hand at July 31st, when the books were closed for the year. But it_ had been paid out to shareholders. Whether they had the money now or not he could not say. In answer to Mr. .T. Thomas, the Chairman said that this year's output was sold on open consignment. The general policy .in the past had been to consign on guarantee without recourse. The Company had had to pay a half per cent, commission under that system, and this had cost them thousands of pounds in the course of the six years. Mr. Morison pointed out that the Company was ; really taking very little risk in dealing with the same reliable firm as in the past. Mr. T. Coleman supported the directors' action, saying that the half per cent, additional cost the Company £1.30 a year. Mr. Thomas contended that it was good business to stick to the old system. Mr. Taylor quoted Mr. Ellison, who ought to know, in support of open consignment. If the selling company accepted a svstem of advances without recourse then the bnyere were liable to sell as soon as they could obtain a slight margin over their advances. In Mr. Ellison's and Mr. .J. O. Harkness' opinion, I the "advances without recourse" was a ! rotten system, In iirtsWel' to Mr. W. IT. Taylor, the Chairman said the average price realised for the Company's! cheese for the season was just over 6'/ad per lb. f.0.b., New Plymouth. i Mr. Jones said he was disappointed in j the price obtained. (Laughter). He : would like to knife the mail who said he : didn't earn it if the price were Is fid. i The price should have worked out at Is !4d per lb. butter-fat. The factory was right alongside the railway, and the expenses ought to be light. Was there S Sfly reason why Ngaire should not pay ! fftlt the highest price for the Dominion. fTad they got it? And if not, why not? Why don't we get a topnoteh price? A Director: .Some have been making whey butter, and got an extra halfpenny. Mr. Jones said that Cardiff had sold their output, and got nearly as much as Ngaire had. Someone raised the moisture question, and Mr. Taylor flatly contradicted the statement that Lowgarth or Cardiff put in more moisture than Xgaire had done. Mr. .Tones, continuing, expressed the opinion that the Company was not doing the best for itself by continuing to consign through the present firm. Mr. Thomas, who had been comparing balance-sheets, said he had seen a bal-ance-sheet of a company which paid 16 l-10d per lb. for fat. Ngaire had not done as well as that. When he himself had been Chairman of directors he had been up against the proposition that Lowgarth was "beating them hands down," and he had successfully applied himself to the problem.

Mr. Coleman interjected: That Company paid out on a 3.73 test, and sold on open consignment, which you are condemning.

Mr. Thomas said that test was of little moment. He wouldn't advocate following any unfair test. Mr. Coleman pointed out that from the time Ngaire gave up its butter-fat it caught up on Lowgarth. The .principal difference between Lowgarth and Ngaire last year was that Lowgarth made 2.7-t lbs. of cheese from a pound of butter-fat. and Xgaire 2.05 lbs. He knew that the Lowgarth people started the season with the intention of putting the maximum of moisture into its cheese. Mr. Thomas said water was fairly cheap in this country, and it was worth while to put it into the cheese and sell it. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Mr. X. B. Frvday moved the re-elec-tion of the retiring directors, Messrs. 11. C. Taylor and R. Orr. Mr. Thomas seconded.—Elected. Mr. Jno. Thomas was re-elected auditor. HERD TESTING. The advisability or otherwise of engaging an independent tester for the herd-testing was introduced by the Chairman for discussion. Mr. Thomas stated that during the past ten years he had increased the average output of his herd by nearer 100 than 50 per cent., without touehing .pedigree, lie moved, that the cow-testing adopted by the Company be continued "''from time to eternity." Seconded by Mr. \Y. Taylor, and carried. NEW BUILDING*"REQUIRED. The chairman brought up the question of the erection of new buildings. It would be necessary to put up new buildings for the separation of whey butter, and the question suggested itself whether or not it would be advisable to replace the present factory, some portions -of which were getting old. Mr. Thomas objected to this business coming on without fair notice. To a question, the chairman replied that about £ISOO would provide buildings and machinery for whey buttermaking. A new factory of concrete would cost approximately £3OOO. Whilst not absolutely necessary at present, the rebuilding was advisable. The awkward part of the business was that they wanted the new factory on the site of the present one. Mr. Thomas suggested erecting the concrete building over the present one, and then "throwing the old one out of the window." Mr. Taylor said the late manager had given his opinion that the company was losing £GOO a year because of the lack of an up-to-date curing room. The shrinkage here was excessive. Mr. Falconer (manager) said that, apart from the loss by shrinkage, the llavor suffered. Cheese cured in a eoolcuring room was of better quality than that cured in one like this, with the temperature running up to 88 de'g. Fall. It was impossible to turn out the finest cheese with the present curing room. To properly insulate the present curing room would cost nearly as much as a new one. Cool-curing ensured a moister cheese, and better results all round, with a saving of two per cent, in shrinkage. After further discussion the rebuilding question was deferred for a special meeting of shareholders to be held in about three months' time. A lengthy discussion took place concerning the advisability of feeding turnips to dairy cattle. The manager was called in, and his ultimatum was practically that he did not care how the cows were fed so long as lie got good sound-

flavored milk, from any causi' whatever, lie would send it i<;irk hi i 1:" i'ann. PEESQML 'Mr. R. E. M.iini(]cv, forimrl.v with Messrs. StandWi :>r<l in Now Plymouth, bus joiiu <1 the s;nil' of Wake and \\ right, xoliritors, of -Str:«ford, as ma;:a..fine <-!i-rk, in succession to Mr. A. King, who recently accepted an appointment in Rivorton. STRAY PARAGRAPHS. "Ben Tippins Outdone" is the title of ft living picture, is it not? lam not sure whether we can outdo the vigilant Ben, 'but we have a man who will certainly make a. somewhat similar reputation if lie keeps on as he is going. On Monday a man arrived in Stratford and started work. Yesterday Borough-Inspector Barlow laid him by the heels for cycling on the footpath. His newness to Stratford, and 'his ignorance of the by-laws, likewise bis unfamiliaritv with tie personal appearance of the inspector, might be urged for hitn, but the inspector took no tally of this, and the summons was out a few minutes later.

At the Ngaere Dairy Company's meeting yesterday the secretary, Mr. T. 11. Penn, read from a table some interesting comparisons compiled from balancesheets of eight factories, some in Taranaki and some in the Wairarapa. The average test over eight was 3.8 (average test at Ngaere 3.3!)): average cheese from each lb of butter-fat, 2.651b (Ngaere 2.04) : average pay-out, 14% A per lb of fat (Ngaere 15*/ 2 d)'; average cost of manufacture (including wages, requisites and repairs) 1.330(1 per lb (Ngaere 1.287 d); average price, for cheese, f.0.b., 6.23 d (Ngaere fi.s2d). ' The tender of Mr. W. Bead has been accepted for renovating the Municipal Buildings, and that of Mr. R. Beckett for painting, ete., at the Municipal Abattoirs. There was again a good gathering at the Foresters' 'dance on Monday. The catering of Mrs. Brooking was again a feature, the menu being wholly composed of home-made delicacies. Mayor Kirkwood, possibly acting on the gentle liint contained in a recent "stray par.," rebuked verbose Borough Councillors on Monday night. They are asked to behave themselves better in future, and not interject or interrupt unnecessarily, and to listen instead of talking when something is being said. If a councillor knew that liis words were being duly weighed he might be less liberal with them. A chunk of wisdom from Mr. Joe Thomas, sen., at yesterday's dairy factory meeting at Ngaere.—"A man tvould need to be as meek as Moses, as patient as Job, as polite as George Washington, to have the wisdom of Solomon", titre nerve of Cromwell, and the ability' of Napoleon, Nelson and Jack Johnsbii' all put together. These are the r&juirements a man needs if he is to contM the distribution of whey to the suppliers." Someone suggested that even a man so richly endowed as the creature of Mr. Thomas's imagination would not fill the bill. It is a fact that the correct portioning out of what is really a waste product causes more dissension among dairy factory snppliers than any othe« part of the business. bernard'sTpictures.

The Kalem Company have released some very fine films depicting stirring incidents in the American Civil War, and the best of these is said to be 'War's Havoc," which will commence a three-' nights' season at Ilis Majesty's Theatre on Thursday (to-morrow) evening, accompanied by many other gems of cinematography. The story is briefly this: News of Sumter's fall interrupts the wedding of Captain Faulkner and Jennie Mcpherson. The ceremony is completed, however, and the dashing Confederate leaves for the front. A year later sees Faulkner's regiments in the vicinity of his old home. A railroad of Federals is en route to attack the camp, and by supreme strategy Faulkner's wife and an old negro woman get 'this news to the Confederates. She cuts the wires and shoots an operator who attempts to telegraph from a tree, but he has managed to give warning, and the Federals return. The, two take charge of an engine, and run it into collision with the Federals' train, and save the day. As the sun goes down the flag of the Confederates floats over the home, and Faulkner and his wife are happily reunited.

Another reminder is given of Saturday afternoon's matinee. There are many films showing which will amuse and instruct young and old alike, and it is hoped the afternoon performance will get that big support which it deserves.