AWATUNA DAIRY COMPANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1917, Page 2

AWATUNA DAIRY COMPANY.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. The twenty-third annual meeting of shareholders of the Awatuna Co-op. Dairy Factory Co., Ltd., was held on Saturday, Mr. S. Farquhar, chairman of directors, presiding over an attendance of about forty shareholders. DIRECTORS' REPORT. The directors' report was as follows! Your directors have pleasure in reporting another year's successful, operations, Cheese-making commenced on September 1, and the report was again consigned to Messrs J. and J. Lonsdale and Co., Ltd., London. August butter was sold to J. Nathan and Co., at Is 5d per lb f.0.b.. Patea. On January 16, 1016, the Imperial Government I commandeered all cheese for export at o'/->i\ f.o.b. and at the same time comandeeral all cheese in and . to arrive at 'London, but no flna'ity as to price was arranged, "it lias now been- reported that the Imperial Government will pay 123s Gd per cwt, London, for all cheese supplied prior to January. 10. The directors have decided that for the future it will be in the company's best interest to have the cartage in their own hands, and for this purpose have ordered through the Farmers' Co-op. Organisation Society an Austin 2y 2 -3 ton lorry. Owing to the insufficiency of steampower at Taungatara a boiler of greater horse-power has been obtained. The directors, looking to future arrangements and the inferior state of the building, decided to erect a new portion in concrete. This contains the separator, engine, boiler, salt and bathrooms. The plan of this has been so arranged that in the future the cheese rooms can be reerected in concrete, and the capacity increased, to eight vats, with provision for pasteurisation in a. manner to make the working much more*convenient and up-to-date. The new curing room at Awatuna has proved a valuable asset to the company. During the congested state, of cheese storage last season as many as 1500 crates of cheese were stored in it, and when sent forward was in excellent condition. It may be considered that this building has already saved its cost to the company during the one season. We have made arrangements with Mr. Baker, of Eltham, who did the building At Taungatara in a most satisfactory manner, to erect a garage in concrete at Awatuna. This will be completed in a short time, and should the Company require the space wjll be very convenient for the storage of cheese during the coming, season. The profit and loss account shows a surplus of £5269 Bs, of which, on August 20, £3123 lis 9d has been paid out to suppliers at the rate of l%d per lb, September to April inclusive, bringing payments up to Is fid per lb. This leaves a balance of £2145 16s 3d, less £340 2s 8d interest on share capital, or a net balanco of £1798 13s Bd. There is a balance of the 10 per cent, yet to come from the Imperial Government over che'ese commandeered at 9y 2 d per lb and tho balance from J. and J. Lonsdale and (Co., Ltd., over consigned cheese commandeered at 123s 6d per cwt.. on which 9d per lb, plus freight and exchange had been advanced. This total balance will 'probably amount to about £6OOO. The directors expect to be in a position to pay 2d per lb in October, and a further payment when final accounts are to hand. The directors have sold the company's farm, after reserving 10 acres with buildings for the company's, use. The matter of forming a cow testing association has been left in abeyance, owing to labor difficulties caused by the war. Instead of local efforts this year the directors recommend the shareholders to make a donation to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. Ten of the employees, including a branch manager and first assistant, have volunteered for activs service; three have made the supreme sacrifice; several others have been wounded. Some of our other local boys have also given their life in the cause of liberty and freedom. The following statistics were attached to the report (the figures for 1916 appearing in parentheses): Lbs milk, 14.221,601 (10,878,653), decrease 2.056,992; lbs milk for cheese, 13,280.658 (16,135,164), decrease 2,854,506; lbs milk for butter, 941,003 (743,489), increase 197,514; lbs butter-fat, 542,637 (629,234), decrease 86,597; lbs butter-fat for cheese, 502.455 (600,499), decrease 98,044; lbs butter-fat for butter, 40,182 (28.735), increase 11,447; lbs cheese made, 1.275,268 (1,574,046), decrease 298,788; lbs butter made, 46,280. (32,682), increase 13,598; lbs whey butter made. 32,795 (32,437); increase '358; lbs cheese to lb butter-fat, 2.53 (2.02), decrease. .09; lbs milk to lb cheese, 10.40 (10.25), increase .15; lbs milk to lb butter, 20.3 (22.7), decrease 2.4; over-run, 15.17 (13.73), increase 1.44; average test, (3.72). increase .09. 'Payments for season for butter-fat: August Is sd; September 1 to April 30. Is 4</»d, May Is 4d, June and July Is 3d.

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS. Mr H. McCarrison was elected a director unopposed in place of Mr. A. M, Collins, who resigned for health reasons. The two retiring directors, Messrs S. Farquhar and J. Bradford, offered themselves for re-election and Mr. H. Ci Duckett was also nominated. A ballot resulted as follows: Farquhar 244 votes, Bradford 217, and Duc.kett 150. The first two were duly declared elected. Mr. Parrot.was elected auditor. / PATRIOTIC CONTRIBUTIONS.

The chairman referred to the para]jraph in the directors' report to the effect that in place of local efforts they recommended shareholders to make a donation to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. ■He mentioned that the Dairy Company had sent no less than ten of its employees to the front, and from all around •the neighborhood men had gone, and he •knew of no other purposes to which inoney could be so deservedly voted as to provide funds for wounded soldiers. Mr. Duckett moved that the company contribute y s d on all butter-fat. This would nmount to about £250. Seconded by Mr. Bradford. Mr. Bnrko moved as on amendment that the company contribute £10(>. Seconded by Mr. Collins. In a general discussion it was pointed out that there was no power to compel a dry shareholder to contribute his quota to such a vote. Some speakers contended that a vote on a butter-fat basis would operate unfairly and Inequitably, just as the Government but-ter-fat levy did. Some wealthy freeholders could better afford to pay a shilling than some leaseholders and [sharemilkers could afford to pay a ]senny, but it was invariably the case that those who could least afford ii were those who regularly paid up. They contended that it would be better iot the company to vote £lO6 and continue the local effort.

Upon a show of hands, being taken the amendment was carried, : ■'..A motion :to oon|inua the agricul-

tnral instruction was thrown out on a show of hands.- .'■'■. The meeting unanimously increased tlic ciiiii'-inmiV honorarium from £2O to [£so.—Abridged from Star.