LOWGARTH DAIRY COMPANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 August 1917, Page 3

LOWGARTH DAIRY COMPANY.

AXXUAL MEETING.

DIRECTORS AT VARIANCE. f There was a very, satisfactory attend-' '■ ance of shareholders at the annual meet- "> ing of the Lowgarlh Dairy Company, - iield yesterday, Mr. B. Booker, chairman e of directors, prcsidiii". In moving the adoption of the • report and balance-sheet (published on - Thursday) the chairman remarked that i the financial results were extremely ' good, the pay-out at present indicating 1 Is lOd per lb for butter-fat, whilst the i Government had commandeered a por- | tion of an early shipment, and if the ! Government paid out for this in pro- ■ portion, it meant the .possibility of an- ■ other Id, bringing the payment to Is lid. i Mr. Fitzgerald.protested against grants > to various societies, contending that the i directors should not make such grants , without the consent of all shareholders. Members objected to the manner in i which Mr. Fitzgerald brought it up. He had not attended the annual meeting. : The report and balance-sheet \vere adopted. Mr. Booker said he had no desire to < continue in harness, lie said he had sold out and mas retiring from the position. > He neglected to thank them for placing liim in that position, and he would not thank them. There was too much running about, and he was well out of pocket in expenses. Mr. Gray was pleased to note that the chairman had realised there was a lot of hard work attached to the position. He moved that the chairman receive the usual honorarium of £so.—Mr. Fryday seconded.

Mr. Burke said it was hardly enough, and he moved an amendment that the amount he increased by £-25, making it £7s—Mr. Salzberger seconded. The amendment was carried, Mr. Cray then moved as a further amendment that the chairman be paid 11-lMia of £75. The chairman (heatedly): I don't .wish to stand on the directorate. I have "done • more for the factory in twolve months ' than you dni in live years. Mr. Grav had drawn his salary and stopped at home, occasionally making a visit to iNgaere, JCitha'm, or Stratford. He had : battled hard for the'factory, and had made visits to Palmerston North, six or seven to Hawera, Eltham, etc. Ho had attended meetings of the. Efficiency Hoard on behalf of the company, and this was the result. He would have accepted the Xal) and said nothing;, hut when Mr Cray wanted him to accept 11-l-2ths it was an insult, and he would not tolerate it. They had elected Mr. Cray on '■ the directorate, and (whilst they had

agreed to disagree on factory matters he thought.they were good friends otherwise. He was surprised to see Mr. Gray use such a back-handed method. He had resigned from the directorate, but thev must recognise he had the interests o*f •the factory at heart with the best He then left the chair.

Messrs Fryday and McMahon said thev would move that tho chairman's resi<Wtion be received provided he consented to fulfil the duties of chairman utnil the close of the meeting. Mr. Gray said lie was quite prepared to resign his position on the directorate Mr. Burke said thev should accept Mr Gray's resignation. Mr. Booker had done a lot of good work on behalf of the factory, and they should retain his services.

The chairman paid he could not accept a position on the same board as .Mr Gray. The latter had objected to the increased remuneration, and lie was mire that if the two were, on the directorate they would make trouble. The motion uvas then carried accepting Mr. Gray's resignation. Messrs Frydny and McMahon then witndrew their motion accepting the ebnirman's resignation. ° With Mr. Gray's resignation there was a vacancy on the directorate. Mr Ruizberrier was proposed, but had to decline. Mr J. Phillips was next pronosed. but he faid that in face of the voting when he lost to Messrs Fcaron and Burke he could not accept the position. It was pointed out that in that instance Mr. Phillips had been opposed by two old directors. Mr. Phillip's then agreed to accept the position.

■BACON. BUSINESS,

The chairman said that previously he Was against any ideas of joining' the new bacon company, but was now personally .in favor of the factorv joiniii" the company. It was for the sWelmld" ers to decide.

Mr. MeCormack asked if the directors had not turned down the proposal when previously discussed.

The chairma nsaid the proposal turned down was one decided upon by the share-' holders, and the company they were discussing then -was not the present con-

_ Mr. Hill proposed that Mr. Barron be invited to address the shareholders of the factory regarding the proposal,-on ft night to be fixed by the factory.—Mr. R. Burke seconded. Mr. J Phillips sa ;d t ho Bacon Company i works at Eltham were now on different lines to previous years, They were now doing very well, and 'were killing beef as well as pork. Durin» the past seven months they showed a bi» profit on beef. ° Mr. Gray: Then you are not giving us enough. ° t -Mr. Phillips: I believe the company is paying 25s per 1001b for old cows. i Hie motion was then carried. ' SHIPPING. Mr. Fryday then requested that a motion should be passed thanking the Premier and Sir Joseph Ward for their eilorts regarding shipping. The chairman, in seconding the motion, expressed appreciation of the efforts made. At one time it looked as if there was going to be a serious blockage of foodstuffs, but the position was noHv much brighter. The motion was carried.

TSUTTERJFAT TAX. i Mr. Fryday then moved that the meeting protest against the butter-fat tax and urge that restitution of the same *ould be made, and that representations be made to the Premier and Minister for Agriculture. Mr. Gray seconded the motion, which was carried.

COURTING A SNUB. Mr. Fryday then drew attention to a l>!>.:-i;-.me."tary statement in the House !>y a lneiiiber regarding the appointment of .Mr. Winston Churchill to the British Ministry. In his opinion Mr. Churchill was a hoodlum and responsible for the Gallipoli sacrifices. He moved: "That Die Premier be asked to use his influence to prevent the appointment of the RHit Hon. Winston Churchill to the Ministry, as this meeting considers him responsible' for the Gallipoli sacrifice." The chairman said he hardlv tnouMit the matter came Under factory business , Mr. Frydajr said-the matter had been,

before Parliament, and those with sons and relatives at the front would not like to see Mr. Churchill controlling affairs again. The chairman said it would look like Lorn-garth dictating to the British Government, and) indicating that the best brains of the world were at Lowgarth. Mr. Hall said the British .public could be trusted to understand the position,, and if they were agreeable so should the people of thfe Dominion be. The moljon was dviy seconded and* - e »«!*?t Misl-the wigetinj; adjoiqgedj, "