PATEA FARMERS' FREEZING COMPANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 July 1919, Page 9

PATEA FARMERS' FREEZING COMPANY.

A PROGRESSIVE CONCERN. Though South Taranaki is essentially regarded as a dairying district and farmers mostly look to the dairy factory for their monthly cheques, yet a considerable amount of grazing is done there, judging by .the fact that the Patea Farmers Freezing Company, a cooperative concern owned by farmers in South Taranaki, has to be continually increasing its capacity in order to cope wjth the large number of sheep and cattle offering, the majority of which come from Taranaki- The value oi freezing works to the dairy farmer and particularly to the small dairy 1 farmer cannot be over estimated, as by providing a, certain market and an assured price for his culls it enables him to systematically test his herd and throw out tha culls, which he can now do without such a dead loss as was the ease a few yea/s ago. In this way a farmer is encouraged to improve the yield of his herd, a very necessary provision in these' days of high priced land, and which must be adopted together with improved methods of cultivation if farming is to be made payable.'. In this way the works may be considered as an allied industry to dairying.

The Patea Farmers' Meat Company affords another striking illustration of the success that can bo made, of cooperation under good management, and is a tribute to the skilful control exorcised both in financial and other matters by Mr. W. D. Powdrcll, who has been chairman of directors and managing director since its' inception, and his codirectors.

The works had been in existence for very many years, being owned by a proprietor)'- concern and had sufficed' from fire on more than one occasion. On April 28, 1910 they were taken over from Messrs. Nolan, Tonks and Thomson by the Patea Farmers' Freezing Company, a concern with a capital of £14,618 called up, and of this £12,000 went in the purchase of the works The first directorate comprised Messrs. W. D. Powdrcll (chairman), E. Bremer, (i. Murtagh, R. H. Nolan, A. T. Wills. Z V. Williamson and the late W. Brewer.

When taken over the storage capacity was about 15.000 carcases when both stores and freezing chambers were filler! and the killing capacity was about 30 cattle and up to 300 sheep dally. For the first year the company killed 411 lambs, 884 sheep and 1743 cattle. The nowcr was derived from a fiO h.p. suction gas engine and the total plant was valued at £7fifl4 and the buildings, land, etc., £Oll6. In those days the company made manure and did canning in a small way. In "the winter of 1913 £2OOO was expended in extensions in anticipation of thj new season's operations but a fire destroyed the whole of the works with.

the exception of the storage chambers and the engine room. Temporary killing buildings were erected and within a month killing operations were again in Ipr About the beginning of Au- | gust, 1014, the erection of new works was started in concrete and since that date additions have been constantly in progress, the builders, who are under the supervision of Mr. Baker, late of TCltham, never having left the scene. They are likely to remain there for some time yet, at least a year, in vjew of the important additions now under \Vay. ' The first work undertaken was the erection of the slaughter house and cooling floors. The slaughter house now has a capacity for 150 cattle and 1000 sboep daily and pinna have been drawn for additions to 'enable a further 1500 sheep to be killed daily. To provide space for this the offices have been renuvpd, and new premise* recently purchased from Levin and Companv, overlooking the Tailway nive been •■<■ vertod 'n+n ■> fnitim. Irons and cotnfoif>-(;',! stlitc of offices where Mr A. N. Williams, who is secretary in the absence of Air. Brewer, and his office staff ore housed.

The following year the canning and manure buildings were increased largely, and next year an up-to-date" fellmo'ngery building was added, also new engine rooms. In IMS the output had increased to IS,OOO lambs, 29.000 sheep, 752 calves, and 8947 cattle. This increase has been steadily maintained, the output last season being 50,457 sheep and 12,005 lambs and up to the present this season 76,911 sheep and lambs and 10,012 cattle have been killed and the latter are still being slaughtered nt the rate of ISO per day. This could have been much increased but for the blockage in the storage owing to the lack of shipping space. It is unnecessary to give a detailed description of the works. Suffice it to say that the management have recognised the need for keeping abreast of the times and have acted accordingly with the result that they now possess one oi the most modern equipped works that « is possible to provide. The works are designed on the moat labor-saving methods, gravitation and power elevators being made to do most of the heavy work. Each department dovetails into the other and there is absolutely no waste, everything possible being turned to use. The fanning department is a feature This is equipped wi.th the most up-to-date cutting machinery and cooking appliances, and r able to handle comfortably 70 carcases of beef. It is also equipped with a modern tin-making plant. The pelt curing and wool (trying departments also contain the latest appliances. In the former was seen a striking instance of the no-waste policy. In a corner alongside a stripping machine was seen a mass of apparent rubbish, being the fleshings from the skins. From this, however, a.fine fat is extracted.

During (ho war period the Cotnpany, like all other similar concerns, felt the aevte shipping difficulty, but every effort lias been made to meet it by the provision of additional storago accommodation with the result that the capacity of the works is now 250.000 cut carflases. three additions, or equivalent to 100,000 carcases, having been made this year. The refrigerating machinery has been increased till its capacity 'is now 105 tons, driven by a suction gas plant, and the company is now installing a further 110-ton "Lindo" freezer, to be driven by a 280 ,h,p. Tangye ga% eflgm'fiu A flyai** mo of 150 kilowatts direct coupled to a 280 h.p. Tangye gas engine is also being installed to provide motive power for the whole of tlie works, the present

'electric plant being insufficient. New engine rooms in concrete are also to be erected for next season. Further improvements in band include the installation of a Babcock and Willcox boiler, with automatic chain grate Stoker end Green fuel economise!', to provide steam for heating purposes., This {necessitates the erection of a ferro concrete chimney stack 120 feet in height. The new machinery is being installed under the supervision of Air, Harrison. A, throe vat oil plant is also being installed and will be ready to commence operations next season. A huge concrete building is being erected for the manufacture of the numerous casks used by the company in shipping its tallow, pelts, sausage casing*, etc. The fellmongerv and manure works are also being largely increased to cope with the increased output of the works.

The company is continually installing new machinery, as the management recognise that it does not pay to utilise obsolete machinery and in these days of invention machinery that is new now may next year be superseded by some greatly improved method.

About two years: ago the company decided to purchase its own steamers for the carriage of its, produce to the ocean liners at Wellington, and as a result they now own the Waverley and the Waitnngi. The former has a capacity of 2500 carcases and the latter at present 2000, but as doon Aline improvements DoW in progreiig at the ■ heads give deeper water th.e Waitangi's capacity can be considerably increased. 1 These boats bring Back general cargo on their return trips,. At present all the produce is carted from the wbflts to the wharf by an electric tip lorry, electric conveyors bringing tbo carcases from the back to the front of the stores. ' As soon as arrangements can be made with the . railway department to pjermlt of an overhead train being run across the railway line the produce will be railed direct to the steamer from the store, a chute having been placed in the. centre of the block for that purpose. The company recently purchased Mr. Ch'.istiansen's fellmdngery and property near by. This has been purchased for the dual purpose of erecting homes for some of the company's employees thereon and also in order to make use of the fine stream of water \ running through the property. This will be conveyed to the works by means of pumps, thus ensuring a copious supply of water. Both these schemes will be put into operation at once.

About Hid time the works were reconstructed the nominal capital was increas-' ed to £40,000, and at the time of the last annual meeting "f 2t,538 la 6d Was paid up. Since then a~ considerable further amount bag been paid showing the confidence arid trust of the farmers, which is a deserved tribute to the managing director (Mr. W. D. Powdrell) and his co-directors, Messrs. A, S. Tbnks, B. G. Lysaght, C. R Honeyfiold, A Symes, A. T. Wills, C.,J. Hawker,: J. F. Williamson and C. Dickie—the directorate having been increased to nine some years ago.