DAIRY COMPANIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1919, Page 5

DAIRY COMPANIES.

LEPPEHTOM. ANNUAL MEETING, * The twenty-seventh annual tsMUnt of tb* , Lepperton Dairy Company wtl b«M In tb* i local hall last night, when Mr. S. B. LepMfi chairman of directors, presided over a food attebdance of suppliers. The <*«<«»tni «j. pressed gratification at the attendance, which showed that shareholders were Jaklnf a U?« ' Interest In the business of their own factory. REPORT AND BALANCE-SHEET, The report showed that cheese made amount* ed to 21)7 toils, and whey butter to 9 tonf, there wore 1322 crates of cheese In tbi WttN ' and 18 crates In the factory. Tie balance . of 1917-18 season now stood at £427, tUnr* lng of a final payment of of 6-Ud per n>. of butter-fat over that season. Tlw vorUßf a*> ' count for the year showed a balance of gMU, which, after settling aside the mm of £Mo • for reduction of overdraft, would allow et" another 5d per lb, of butter-fat Mac trttt* uafly paid to suppliers, making a total of If . lOd for the season. The directors proposed * to pay 3d per lb. at the meeting, tocadur wtm J S per cent, on share capital subscribed to >BM ' 30lh, 11)18, and to pay out the Vlrail M the cheese was shipped.

The following statistics were submitted !-i I.lm. of milk 4,315,667, butter-fat' ltt.Mt, cheese 4(14,327, whey butter 11,520, avartm tost 4.17, lbs. of milk to 1 lb. cheat* »tt, lbs. of cheese to lib butter-fat 2.58. The balance-sheet showed receipts to kit* been: Cheww £20,203, whey butter filU. ttt* principal Items of expenditure were: Watts £745, requisites £1620. repairs £ML cart* lng £9O, railage £36, export charm*, local £O)4, sundries' £9l, insurance f 11H, liiaw-Jt £284, directors fees £2B, Tells £4B, dtpMCtV tlon £415. The sum of £18,740 bad Mem advanced to suppliers, and there was • bah ance of £4388. CHAIRMAN'S ADDRISS. In moving the adoption of the annul report and balance-sheet, the chairman said. It was, he considered, up to all to do what they could to help I'm returned soldier* (especially those that were maimed), a* It wai largely due to their help that they now had their freedom. He touched on the Industrial war that was now waging, and I*l9 that It things did not improve shortly he «u afraid the dairy Industry would be affacUd, though luckily they could get wood at CM Lepperton factory. Labor was almost woo. talnable. Wages were very hilt, and with the high prices now given for land, comsuud with rates, manures, etc., farmers woulu w«at to maku four blades of grass trow where two grew now. Of course. It was quit* v* the bonrda that butter and cheese mb>* fjf merely by-products, and then perhapa up innd would go again. He congratulated suppliers on the result of the past season. Although not altoßether satisfactory. It was far ahead of lost season, iia., Is s«d. Thilr cheese had been rather slow in letting away. uitd at the timo of the balance there vera 1300 crates still at the works, but It was understood that towards the end of September the cheeso would be all away, and the works dear tor next season's cheese. It must be remembered that the past season s output was commandeered by the Bone Government, and he advlscl everyone to make hay while the sun shone, that was try and grow feed and Increase the milk rleld. because tUe more inllk brought to the factory! the less cost per UV of ttutter-fat to produce. Last season only three vats mat used, although the directors had purchased a fourth vat, with all requisites, and it was hoped that this would be utilised during the coming season. Thoro was sttll room in ma factory for two more vats, and the expenses would be very little mora if all ware used. "He touched on the high cost of requisites due to the high prices, which be ducted. The season was not too good, as It was very wet up to Christmas. This, combined with the Influenza, and the boys being at the from, making some farms abort handed, and caused a fall in the milk supply. There seemed to be plenty of grass, but it grsw too £*' /^ BCeii ' ,ma "".-efore then wss not the fodder. The season seemed to suit the coast lands much batter than the inland He waa not quite sure whether cheesemaking paid In the winter, owing to the nigh cost of fuel, etc., necessary to make the three or four cheesea. If tnoy v, vt * allowed to dispose of their butter on pre-war condition* he thought It would pay to revert to ualttr la the winter. Atter this season, he 1 presumed they would havo ,o look after themselves and sell the butter and cheese according to tho i!emand. In making cheesJ during the winter, ho thought some of the ieakuge would ho found. Their wages compared favorably with those of other factories which he quoted at length, pointing out the difficulties of comparison owing to different conditions. The cost to factories with larger outputs as regard; choese was about the same as tho smaller factories. A hc<t wuiw reserve had been installed throughout the faitory, which would result in economy of fuel «onsumptlon. An Improvement bad twen effected to the water suuply, whilst Improvements had been made to the electric supply. They had approached the New Plymouth Borough Council for electric power, and had been informed that should the line come that way Lepperton would bo attended to, but It would probably be three or four years ucfor* Lepperton woud be reached, and be considered th»> should instal electric power of tholr own, and suggested that plans of their race, ua river, etc., with all measurements, should b* forwarded to America.

Ho paid a tribute to the work of thdr carter, Mr F. Clark, who had done the work faithfully for 17 years, una had new missed a train They were, he said, rather ihort of money for working expenses, und he su„««ted that the present £4OOO joint and several should be increased by another £3OOO

Ho touched on the operations of the Box Company, the M: uroa Freezing Works, and the negotiations leading tip to the sending 01 delegates to America to lntestigate dried milk, sUßir of milk, and other by-products of milk. He thanked his fellow directors and the «eoretary for their courtesy, and paid a tribute to the cood work of Me>sra Hamblyn and Stlmpsat, who had sold their farms, and woulu not bo seeking re-election

In conclusion, he urgod all suppliers to bring as much inlllt as possible and also urse others to lirhig their also, A man must bo a constant supplier year In and year out, as a fanner who supplied for a few months and then sold his cows was no good to his fellow farmers, who were forwarding nil their milk summer and winter, and consequently holplng to economise In tho cost of manufaclure. The motion was seconded by Mr. J. h.n. THE IHSCT.WSION Mr M<.Kc asked whether the f!nr*.oment contract would proliiv.lt »h« numiocluro of butter Instead of cheese dur'm; Ilio nlnt». The chairman 3:ilJ that they only ctrnt'ofltcd for the cheese thoy made. Butter alio was at a fixed price. The ma'.'ascr stated that there was only M boxes of socoi.d grade "hey liu.'er The chairman said 'h's wai due to the* butter being kept in tho feet or* some ti»e, riid whey butter did vol pay to I'ecp In reply to Mr CVpeste'-e. Mia chairman stated that the company had not become shareholders hi tho ""niiel fomnshy. hut had purchased veils to em-onr.'co the Inihwtry It was not propositi to purchase any th's year unless tho company hecrme a slvrehoMer of the Rennet Company, In which cafo they would cm rennet In proportion to their 'ei's Mr Cc-pestako he! - ! that, 'be "em' 'n tin balance-sheet were too iarso.. mvl, In reply to further questions. It was stated that fuel cost £2'o. Mr. Ccpwdeke li«M that l.ep™n-f» expenses of 5 B'd made ii one of the most expensive factories to run. The chairman stated that Leppcrton had wiped off £sOll of its ovedraft, which r;,,. senteil CTd It was difficult to compare fac torles without knowing the different positions, Mr. Copeatnko held thai Huinga. near Toko, paid out. Is HVid, and had further, lo cart, etft. Toko had paid out nearly the »»roc When these black'.ilecks fertorles could psv out so well, ho ihouitht that topperton. tin favorably situated, should pay out potter than was tho ease There must bo b«q »anagoment somewhere The chairman pointed out several leakages which the directors had attended to Mr Copostnlte held that as the whey butter had more than paid tho wae.es, there could not bo much lenkaze there Ngaere, which also paid Interest, was going to pay out 2s 2 S-16d Tho chairman pointed t.ut that Njaero hafl n much largei- output . The chairman stated that the directors had done their best, and If tho shareholders thought Sir. Copestako could run It bolter than he, well ho was willing to (tlve way to him. Mr Dickinson held that the loakaire was due to belnst under-capltallsed The*- had a capital of £2OOO and a plant of £7OOO \ Mr. Blackball, after touching on the tffleij tlon of highest test and yield, congratulated the chairman on his report, which wa> up-to-date In eyery respect He expected shortly to ho going Borne, via America, and would he pleased to do anything that he couhl fori 100 factory In connection with the hydro-electric supply.

The chairman remarked that this was the flret complete year flint the factory bad hid at cheese-making, so had no opportunity of nextne comparisons with other seuqu. The tepdrt mid balance-sheet tken adopted. EJECTION Ot JHJUCCWWg. There «n three Tuameta-fn the directorate caused by the retirement ot Utun. A. E J** »»* 0- N- HaaMyn b* Matte*, end S 2?2li oa ' I? 0 «*W»« wtnt to tartar the district. There were are tamttatieoi, the election nutting ■ as follows: A. atwicH