THE DAIRY INDUSTRY

Taranaki Daily News, 2 July 1919, Page 11

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY

ITS RAPID DEVELOPMENT.

sue Xaupolonui Company,

No where is the growth of ,the dairying industry—and, incidentally, the progress made under tho co-operative system of dairying—more apparent than in the case of the Kaupokonui Dairy Company, whose main factory is situate at Kaupokonui, about 12 miles from Uawera, and whose ramifications extend over a wide area embracing the whole of the rich Waimate plains district. The company, which started in a very small way, was registered in 1897 with a nominal capital of £2OOO, of which 11737 was issued, the first directorate being J. J. Campbell (chairman), ]?. C. Campbell, D, Clark, W. Coxhead, Jas. Glenn, J. Began and E. C. Barleyman, who was also secretary, a position which he has held continuously. The first factory was situated on the site of the present main factory, and was equipped with both cheese and butter plant, Sir. F. W. Falconer being the first manager. The turnover for the first year was very small, viz., £3928, the price per lb. butter-fat being 7%d. During the first year the company showed evidence of that progress which has characterised it throughout- The Waiokura factory was bought from the Crown Dairy Company and the Taikatu creamery was erected, so that the following season the 'turnover had jumped to £28,000. In 1001 factories were established at Oeo and Auroa, the former being built and the la,tter purchased from the Crown Dairy Company. The neit year the. ,Skeet road factory was purchased from the Crown Dairy Company, and a factory was erected on the Sutherland road. In 1004, the company extended its business by opening a co-operative store tinder the management of Mr. A. H. Parkinson, who has retained that position to the present day, the stores, and stock purchased during the year being under £2OOO. In 1905 Mr, .W> Bottrie became chairman of the company, Mr- J. J. Campbell retiring. In 1907, the end of the company's first decade, the turnover increased to £114,000, or about 17 times the first year's turnover, and the pay-out was in the vicinity of lid. The stores sold had also increased in the short period of two years to £14,000, and the Bhare capital increased to £15,009, of which £13,909 was issued, and the assets, which showed at £5694 to start with, had grown to £30,990, from time to time additions and improvements being carried out to cope with the increased supply. In 1910 Mr. W. Borrie resigned the chairmanship, and Mr. W. D. Powdrell, the present chairman, was appointed, and during his whole term has lost no opportunity of advancing the interests of the company and its suppliers. He has always been an advocate of progressive methods, with the Tesult that the company to-day is one of the best equipped and most advanced in the Dominion, if not in the Southern Hemisphere. In December, 1910, a disastrous fire completely destroyed the factory and store, and from that out a policy of building permanently in concrete was adopted. Steps were at once taken to rebuild the factory in concrete and by September, 1911, the new factory, which was up-to-date in every respect, was ready to commence operations. The same year an electric plant, driven by water power, was installed to supply power and lighting. The turnover by this time was £125,000, and the assets £57,000 and subscribed capital £19,667. The policy of renewing in concrete has been extended to the branches, Auroa, which was also destroyed by fire, was completely re-erected in concrete, and Kapuni, Skeet road and Sutherland road are mainly concrete. In 1911-1912 a start was made with separating the whey and manufacturing whey butter, 85,1631bs weight being made the first year. The cow-testing association was also started In this year, and it is pleasing to note that many suppliers took advantage of this opportunity to t e st and cull their herds. In 1914, a further advance was made by the purchase of motor lorries in order to eope with the carting of the company's produce and stores to and from Hawera. Later an electric storage battery lorry was added, and is charged at the company's own plant. The main factory and Btore have been added to on several occasions, and during the war period, .in order to be prepared for any emergency, owing to the acute shortage of shipping, cool storage accommodation was built at the factory for about 30,000 crates, and the wisdom of this step soon became apparent, it being necessary to utilise it all.

Comparison of the 1917-18 balancesheet shows that the subscribed capital was £39,638, the assets £194,000, and the turnover £245,000- The number of suppliers is 240, milking in all about i 1,000 cows. The turnover of the « tore is an additional £61,000. In order to .:rive suppliers at the outlying districts the some facilities as thoss at the main centre branches of the store were es: tablished at Auroa and Kapuni, with the result that the business has considerably nereased, the present year's turnover being in the vicinity of £75,000. The company is a prominent shareholder in various co-operative concerns that are allied to the dairying industry, vis., Egmont Box Company, West Coast TMrigerating Company, N.F. Farmers' Bacon Company, Jfanaia Loan Company, Patea Farmers' Freezing Company, and N.Z "Rennet Company. The nresent directorate comprises Messrs. W. 1). Powdrell (chairman), T. A. Budge, 13. f,nns, W. T. P. Wells, E. T. Burke, Thos. MrPhiliips. F. Monrie and A. Gamlin, and tliev are certainly to be congratulated on the results; nf their progressive policv. .Mr. C. Farley, one of the most capable managers in the Dominion', is at present in charge,

RIVER3ALE COMPANY. An TJp-to-Date and Progressive Concern. The Iliverdalc Co-op. Dairy Company, which is said to be the largert under one roof in the Dominion, is situated at Inaha on the .Main South road, about seven mile from Hawen. It is surrounded by heautiful country, and draws the whole of its supplies from within a radius of about 2$ miles from the factory. The factory was first started invAugust, 1895, when cheese was manu(factured. The first directors were: Messrs. R. W. Foreman, H. fietts, W. A. McKay, W. Dingle, R. Webby, C. Washer and J. V. Wyborn, the latter also being secretary, a position he held until 1916, just 21 years, when he retired, being succeeded by Mr. E. J.

Judd, the present secretary. * Mr. P. Falconer was the first manager. Some idea of the strides that the dairying industry has made in the district since then may be obtained by comparing the first year's returns with those of the present day. An excerpt from the first report remarks: "The capacity of the factory is now being increased so as to be able to deal with a daily supply of | 2000 gallons, which it is estimated will be supplied during the height of the coming season. The amount of milk received during the past season was 251,170 gallons of 11 lbs (2,762,8701b5), which produced 272,1501b5. of cheese, being equal to lib. of cheese to lO.lolbs. milk. The amount of cheese shipped to London was 259.C041b5." At the commencement of the season the directors had made arrangements to consign .to London at a guaranteed advance of 4Jd per lb f.0.b., which enabled a payment of 3id per gallon for the season, that being the method of payment in those days, about the price the townsman now pays for a pint of milk. The output steadily increased yearly, and the factory was enlarged to meet requirements. The year 1916 saw the biggest quantity 1 of milk received, it being 19,808,8731ba., or over seven times as much as durina the first season, and last year the quantity received was ]5,425,6211b5., the decrease being mainly due to the dry season, and the diversion of a very considerable quantity of milk during the rebuilding of the new curing room for in 1917 the making room was i rebuilt, a magnificent permanent structure of concrete, roofed with Marseilles tiles, being erected. This contains 16 vats, and is filled up for eitl'er butter or cheese. The biggest intake in any one day so far has been 12,000 gallons. The company was one of the first in Tarajiaki to enter into the supply of stores to its shareholders, a co-operative store being added about 1903, and though the company does not carry large general stocks, the turnover last vear was £12,000. ' , The present directors are Messrs. J. S. M'Kay (chairman). V. fi. Willcocka. F. A. Washer, F. Livingstone, J. A. MeCallum, A. Murdoch and J. \V. Snowdon. Mr. W. Crawford is manager. The subscribed capital is £0605 and the assets £27,627.

HAWERA This company, operating in the district immediately surrounding Hawera, was started in 1895 in a very small way, a butter factory being established on the site of the present main factory at Glover road. It was not possible to obtain particulars of the very early history of the company, but its output at the start must have been small, as in 1903-1904, after several creameries had been established, the value of the output was only £16,022. Mr. H. Spratt at this time was chairman, having been associated with the company since its start, and Mr. A. A. Fantham secretary- In 1906 the pay-out to suppliers was at the rate of 9.62 d per lb butter-fat, and the output of butter 365 tons. In 1908-07 the suppliers decided to install plants for the manufacture of cheese at all branches, viz., Glover road, Tawhiti, Whareroa, Tokaora and Fraser road, with a curing room at Nplantown. The plants cost £5842 to instal, and were ready for the next' season. About 550 tons of cheese and 100 tons of butter were produced. The late Mr. J. A. Turton became secretary in 1907, and held the position till his death in 1917, when Mr G. A- Holder t-ucceedcd him, and latterly, owing to Mr. Holden's illhealth, Mr. Burdckin was appointed secretary. The output now commenced ,to grow rapidly, and in 1910 it was necessary to enlarge the Whareroa branch. That season the output was 1100 tons, valued at £55,000, and the pay out 115-16 d. In 1913 the Fraser road branch was extended, and the Glover road factory re-erected in concrete. In 1917 Tokaora was added to, and a new concrete factory erected on a new site at Tawhiti to replace the branch there that was destroyed by fire, Mr, Spratt resigned the chairmanship, and was succeeded by Mr. J- R. Corrigan. In 1917-18 the output had risen to nearly 1600 tons, and the pay-out was Is 10% d per lb. butter-fat, or just double the pay-out of 1010, the turnover for the season being £152,000. This season the output shows a much greater increase, over 2000 tons of cheese having been manufactured.

T. L JOLL COMPANY. One of the last, but by no means the least of the Taranaki 'dairy companies to go over to co-operation was the T. Jj Joll Dairy Company, which i» 1908 took oyer the business of the late. T. L. Joll. Tins company, whose headquarters are at Qkaiawa, was started by the late T. p, Joll in a very small way, one little butter factory being established in the early nineties in connection with his store-keeping business. Being a man of keen judgment, and of yreat business capability, lie was one of tlit very first to recognise the possibilities of tlio dairying- industry, and lost no opportunity in establishing creameries in con. nection with the factory, whose outpot grew enormously, Practically from the start he secured interests in farms, and many now prosperous settlers have to thank him for their commencement, he being always willing to finance and assist those who appeared willing to work and possessed character. That his work in .the district was appreciated is evidenced by the monument erected by the suppliers in the Joll Memorial Park to perpetuate his memory. After Mr Joll's untimely death in Wellington the suppliers ' took over the business on a co-operative basis from his widow, the subscribed capital of the new company being £12,000. The assets of the company were valued at £20,800, and this included the main factory at Okaiawa, and branch factories at Tempsky road, To Ngutu, Palmer road. Kapnni, Mangawhero, Auroa and Otakeho, the last named being about l£ miles from the main factory, giving some indication as to how the' late Mr. Joll had extended his business.

The turnover of the company for the first year was in round figures about £IOO,OOO, and the pay-out. to the suppliers, who numbered 184, was ]s Id, cheese being manufactured. Mr. .Toll havin« just previously changed from butter. The first directorate comprised: Messrs. J. B.' Murdoch (chairman), T Walsh, C. .r. tmvtnn. ,T. D. Crowley. -T. S. Pearce, .1. THoovnhVld. A- C. Johnstone. Jas. Smith and J. Marx, the. last named representing Mrs. .1011, who was allowed a representative until matters were finally adjusted. Tin' company were fortunate in having the services of Mr. A. Lees as secretary, lie having been for six years with the.lnre Mr, T. L. .Toll, and conseojlehtlv Wat -rnmili.ilv -vith the wnrki"'--and requirements of the business;- He ims retained tlie uapitioa «v«r «iw«.

Mr. H. Black was the first manager, being succeeded by Mr. A. McKenrie, who afterwards joined the Gomwaenfr Dairy staff. Mr. A. G. Fraser, the present manager, has held the position for two years, having previously been manager of the Te Ngutu branch for several years.

The aim of the directors has. always been in the direction of progress combined witli stability, and that they have been supported by the suppliers is shown by the fact that of the original directorate, three—viz., Messrs. J. B. Murdoch (chairman), A. C. Johnstone, and T. Walsh—have retained their seats continuously, and Mr. J. D. Crowley only resigned in order to go to the front. Mr. J. B. Murdoch, the chairman, is recognised as one of the leading men in the dairying industry in the Dominion, and has been chosen as one of the delegates to visit America, the Continent and England in connectibn with'the further development of the industry. The new company therefore had every chance of success, and it has succeeded. The majority of the factories have been enlarged. Tempsky road branch has been rebuilt in concrete, and a large addition in concrete is now being made at Te Ngutu- From its inception the company employed its own wagons in the cartage of produce and goods to and from Normanby station, and these were superseded by motor wagons when the latter came into vogue, the plant now consisting of shree largo wagons and plans have been prepared for the erection of a large concrete garage for housing them. The turnover last year was £197,000, having just about doubled itself in the ten years of the company's existence. A proportion of this was, of course, due to the increased price—the pay-out being Is IOJd and the number of suppliers having increased to 220. This increase is due to farms having been subdivided. The paid up share capital has increased to £20,006 lis 3d, and .the assets to £50,418 18s. The company also holds shares to a large amount in allied cooperative concerns, such as the Egmont Box Company, West Coast Refrigerating Company, N.Z. Bacon Company, N.Z. Rennet Company, South Taranaki Shipping Company and Winter Show Company,