DAIRY MEETINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1918, Page 7

DAIRY MEETINGS.

MEREMERE. The twenty-third annual meeting of shareholders was held on Saturday, when there were present about twentytwo members. Mr D. J. Williams, chairman of directors, presided. After the confirmation of the minutes'the balance sheet and report w.ere taken as read. The report congratulated members on having had another erjt-remely successful year so far as prices and output are concerned, the amount of butter-fat being in excess of the previous season. The amount of creamery butter manufactured was 73 boxes (disposed of locally at Is 7d), and the amount of whey butter 250 boxes, takc-n by the Imperial Government at 1.13s 4d. per cwt. The balance available for distribution is £5209 17s Bd, which will allow of a further payment for the cheese season of 3%d. This will absorb £5159 5s 6d, and the directors recommend carrying the balance of £SO 12s 2d to reserve.

The chairman, in moving the adoption -of the report and balance-sheet, stated that the. butter-fat showed an increase owing to new suppliers coming in. It is anticipated that there will be a further increase in number, and that the position will be better still. He quoted figures showing that Mcremere compared well with all factories in the province as regards ratio and pay-out. Last year instructions were given by the Trading Department and by the Board of Trade to make a very dry cheese, but some factories did not carry out these instructions and put, a liberal proportion o* water into the cheese. In this connection it must be remembered that on a price of lOd per lb for cheese every point if ratio represents Id per lb on butterfat. He referred briefly to the shares held in other companies. Out of the large receipts for storage a rebate on charges had been made to all companies. This represented, in the case of Meremere, £4OO. Every share in the company was worth about £2. The first attempts to make rennet had failed, Arrangements had now been made with Mr Cooper, of Mangatoki, who was an expert in the business. Cheese twelve months old made by Mr Cooper's rennet, had taken first prize at Stratford show. Sugar of milk: The cost of manufacture was very large, and feul was an enormous difficulty. He knew of one company which had to scrap £30,000 worth of machinery which had been found out of date. He considered that it was necessary to exercise great caution because it was probable that prices for dried milk would fall. In regard to pay-out ; he stated that there was still an amount; to be paid that would bring the total to Is fljd. In reply to questions he said that the old gas plant had 'been sold and had realised a satisfactory figure; that yells would still be purchased at the same price as last year, viz., 5s each. New w'liey tanks had been erected, which would give the manager a chance to make better whey butter.

Discussion took place on a motion to> require all suppliers to bind themselves to supply the factory for a period of one year. Eventually an amendment that an endeavor to cancel the bond now in existence was carried.

It was resolved that separate accounts be kept for the two factories, and that Pokomoko bear a proportion, of the manager's salary. ' The motion for the adoption of the report was carried. For three vacancies on the board, Messrs Dyson, Watt (retiring members), and Thomlinson were elected. Mr Thomlinson, the new member, briefly returned thanks. The remuneration of the chairman was fixed at £SO, and of the directors, 10s per meeting. At a subsequent meeting of directors, u >' D. J. Williams was re-elected ehair- / J