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Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1916, Page 4

A GOOD MOVE. At the numtal meeting of the luiupokonui Dairy Company, Mr. W. D. Powdrell, the chairman of directors, struck a note that should claim the favorable consideration of the men at the head of the dairying industry, in this province particularly. We refer to his remarks regarding the tendency of neighboring dairying companies to. fight ajnongst themselves. He deprecated this as being against the spirit of co-operation, and urged that instead of lighting they should take stock of things and see if they could jot combine, so diminishing expense in every respect. He Indicated that bis company wes quite ready to

make sacrifices to meet a neighboring company in conference with this end in view. This, Mr. iPowdrell said, was true co-operation, for what they were aiming at was to secure for the fanner the highest price for his produce. Mr. Pow- , diell is quite right. There is altogether too much overlapping and unnecessary conflict of interests amongst dairy companies, not only on the IPlains, ■but in other parts of Taranaki. That such should be the ease says little for the intelligence or the acumen of the men directing the affairs of the companies. Suspicion and mistrust, born of misunderstanding or sheer ignorance Aid ''"cussedness," have prevailed where a proper appreciation of the position and of the advantages accruing from mutual trust and co-operation would have put thousands of pounds into the pockets of suppliers. Take as an instance Kaupo.lconui and Joll's, the two biggest dairying concerns in the Dominion. Last year the former turned over £230,000 and the latter £IOO,OOO. They operate in the same district; they overlap at many points; some of their factories are close together. 'Now, .why should they not join forces and get all there is to be obtained out of the industry? Some of tl.e factories could be closed, the management cost would be appreciably decreased, supplies could be purchased in greater, and therefore cheaper, quantities; the combined concerns would he

in a position to inaugurate and carry out schemes for helping the suppliers; in fact, there would be advantages in every direction to be gained. We hope these two big factories will set an example to the rest of the province in true co-operation, and come, together before another season passes, It is fittjiig that the lead should come from the chairman of Taranaki'.? leading factory, In this connection we would like to pay a tribute to the work done by Mr. Pow- ., di-ell and the company's capable secretary (Mr. C. E. Barleyman) in making ICaupokonui what it is to-day, the most successful factory in New Zealand. They have never been bound .by precedent; they have launched out in many directions, and always with successful results. We arc afraid the value of the services of the "brains" of the company are not recognised as they should lie, or the suppliers would never have been content to fix the honorarium of the chairman at a paltry £l5O for directing a business with a turnover of nearly a quarter of a million sterling.