DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 October 1916, Page 3

DISTRICT NEWS.

L'RUTI. (From Uur Own Correspondent). The sympathy ot the whole district is oflered to Mr. and Mrs. D. Ilea in the loss of tlieir eldest son, Jack, who lias been killed in action in France. l''or grit and determination to get to the front this lad's record will be hard to beat throughout the Empire. baicly 10 years old when \var broke out lie was very anxious to go, but, of course, on account of his youth, his 'father rigjitly would not allow him. But thi s did not stop him. He left home one night, and his parents heard no more of him until lie had reached England and joined Kitchener's Army. He worked his passage Home in the stokehold of a direct boat to England, a very meritorious feat lor one so young and who had been on a farm all his life, which goes to show what the lad was made of. So long as England has sons like poor young Jack she never need be afraid of any enemy. Wo also regret the loss of Rifleman Jas. H. ("Nobby") Candy, who has laid down his life in France for the Empire's cause. Though an Australian by birth, "Nobbv" left here for the front and had worked among us for some years, and by his most genial nature made himself very popular with the whole community. The loss of such gallant young lives cannot very easily be replaced. MAKETAWA. CASEIN PLANT TO BE INSTALLED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) A meeting of the shareholders of the Maketawa Dairy Factory Co. was held en Thursday evening to hear Mr. Hoist, seiretary of the Wanganui Casein Company, on the question of the advisability of froing in for extracting casein from the skim milk. Mr. J. Brown, chairman of (he company, presided over theunecting, which was only moderately attended. He briefly introduced Mr. Hoist, explained his object in asking the shareholders to meet him, and assured them that what Mr. Hoist did not know about casein was harmless. He had known that gentleman for about <dx years, since first he advocated the manufacture of casein, and tried very hard to get the industry started in cooperative principles. Failing in that he had got the Wanganui Casein Company started, whose business had steadily increased from its initiation. Mr. Hoist then addrcsesed. the meeting. He said that the chairman had spoken truly in stating that he, the speaker, had done his utmost to get the dairy factories to start the manufacture of casein on co-operative lines. He named different companies he had approached or. the subject, but it was a new idea and they were not prepared to take the which they thought existed. He had helped to introduce the manufacture of casein to New Zealand and had worked hard to do so till to-day it is firmly established. New Zealand, by climate and soil, was specially well suited to the production of casein in conjunction with the making of butter. He believed that the market for casein was more stable than for any other dairy product, for whereas butter or cheese could only be i sed for one purpose, the uses of casein were already very numerous, and new ore* were constantly being found. The company of which he was secretary had a great many more enquiries for their product than they could supply. Ono firm aione in Britain had asked to be supplied with 500 tons for the year, and another wanted 100 tons. There were various kinds of casein, the best being tho right kind to turn out. Before the war. France had been the chief European producer of the best quality, and the New Zealand article had proved equal to the best French. It would be several years after the war ended before France would be able to produce large quantities, owing to the depletion of her herds, and the same held good with Denmark and Sweden.

He. quoted also the conditions in the United States, the largest producer, who consumed the whole of her own product and was trying hard to get supplies from ether countries. Australia and the Argentine were also mentioned as producers. and still the demand did not diminish, but was steadily increasing. He then explained why, in New Zealand, it was best on economical grounds, to extract the curds at the factories and to get the finishing proess done under one looi. By a proper combination this could be done on eo-opcrativc methods just as well as under the same system box companies, refrigerating works, etc., were now being conducted, but the org;ia!ation of such a scheme would take time. Meanwhile the Wanganui Company was prepared to buy straight out whatever casein Maketawa produces at such a price as would give the suppliers 2d per lb of butter-fat on the milk supplied to the factory for the first month of the supply, which would increase to 3d later. He explained that the cost of starting this undertaking would be at the rate of £3OO for a three-vat plant. A smaller plant would cost rather more per vat. The whey which the suppliers would have back was found to be as good for calf and. pig feeding as cheese, whey. He expressed himself willing to help as much as he could to put in the plant if Maketawa decided to go in for ea.iein extraction.

After Mr. Hoist had answered several questions and made clearer the details of working the scheme, the shareholders, cn the motion of Mr. T. Corney, seconded by Mr. J. Hall, carried this resolution:— "That the directors bo authorised to proceed with the installation of casein plant and necessary buildings at the factory and creamery, with a view to supplying the Wanganui Casein Company, pending the formation of a co-operative casein company.'' A vote of thanks to Mr. Hoist and to the chairman brought the meeting to a close.