A GREAT DAIRYING CENTRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1919, Page 3

A GREAT DAIRYING CENTRE.

REMARKABLE GROWTH OF COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT. I The small band of settlers at Cardiff —for it was there that the co-operative movement in Taranaki originated—could hardly have foreseen the great success that lias been the outcome of that modest start. Prior to that date dairy factories in Taranaki, what few there'were, were run on the proprietary principle, and farmers received a small amount, about 4d per pound, for their butter-fat. It must be admitted that prior to the advent of the refrigerator, and in days when shipping was most uncertain, ft required a great deal of pluck and enterprise to start a factory, and in that respect the dairying industry is greatly indebted to Mr. Chew Cho'ng, now of New Plymouth, who started a factory in Eltham in 1887, which he named "The Jubilee," to mark the event of the year, Queen Victoria's Jubilee. The first dairy instructor in Trranaki describes the factory in 1888 as one of the best he had visited. The machinery, he said, was good, and everything about it was thoroughly clean. The machinery was driven by a water wheel. There were two Danish cream separators, each capable of putting, through 150 gallons of milk per hour; one boa-churn, capable of churning half-a-ton of butter at once; and a lever butter-worker. The water-wheel was inside of the lower part of the building- The butter, when churned, was taken to a space between the wheel and the outside wall to be made up. When the wheel was in motion it caused a current of cool air in the place, at the same time throwing a spray of water in the air which assisted to cool it in hot weather, a methM invaluable for butter making. The building of a tunnel to bring the water to the wheel and plant cost over £7OO. Chew Chong's butter-maker ■ivas Mr. Sydney 'Morris, who later became manager of the principal factory of one of the most important butter-making concerns in the Dominion—the New Zealand Dairy Association. The first shipment of factory butter realised 24s per ewt. more than the- milled butter shipped by Chew Chong at ihe seme time. In those days the dost of Tnarkeling was expensive', and to rail butter to Wellington cost £3 4s per ton. Later the ■freight was reduced to £2 5s per ton for lots of not less than four tons. That the quality of the butter turner! nut was .rood was shown bv the fact that at the South Peas Exhibition, held in Duncdin in ISSO. it secured the leading awards, including a silver eup. Later Mr. Newton King, as one of the members of the Crown Dairy Company (Messrs. King, J. R. Cock and the late J. ,C. George) took a great part in ihe modern development of establishing factories and creameries in various parts. which were later taken over by the settlers as co-operative concerns. THE START 017 CO-OPERATION. As may be imagined, the strnggVm" pioneers who met at Cardiff did not have much capital, and indeed their joint available capital did not exceed £4 1-0= Timber valued at £2O was obtaipc 1 from a sawmiller. and a small bnildin" was erected near the school, ann gram lated butter was collected by the various settlers and milled there. The results were so satisfactory that when (Ik Government instructor (Mr. John Sawyer) was sent out to place before suppliers the value of the co-operative system, the Cardiff people were easily convinced, and from the start of thai concern in IS9I has sprung the remarkable development so well known. The factory was financed by a bank, each sunplier giving his promissory note for ;C4fl. a joint mortgage being accepted over the land, buildings and unpaid capital, the forerunner of to-day's joint and several. A RICH DAIRYING DISTRICT. Stratford is the centre of probably one of the richest dairying districts in the world, and its importance may be gleamed by a pejusal of the following table, which gives the returns of the various factories which make Stratford their headquarters. All these factories actually do their business with Stratford as their headquarters, and. in addition, Strafnrd. as a business centre, enters for the various wants of suppliers of other factories situate much further away, so fhat it may safely be said the dairying industry is worth nearly a million a year to StratfordSome idea of the growth of the dairying industry, which is on the eve of further developments, may be gleamed from a comparison of the following table, giving the output of various factories, and 'lO years ago when the show was first established:—

1909-1(1 1918-1(119 £ s. d. £ s (1. stlrntfoM (59.032 in c ISO.nan n n Mhlhlrst CT.M9 19 11 74.892 9 C Nr.iito 24,027 0 1 nK,141 9 3 Tnrtk'l 14,0(10 0 0 40,000 0 0 Lowenrth .. lß,!Mi.t 7 (I 30,572 14 9 Cardiff 15,780 3 1 32,472 in 5 romhroko 20,003 8 5 Tuna ir,,(if,3 U 5 Wnlngonpiro ... 9,552 811 To Topo 5.210 0 0 Tututiiwa 5,187 G 5 Thilroa 4.151 1" 1 Makahu 2.97115 6 2,294 13 5 200,035 2 7 434,742 14. 7 DAIRY FACTORIES. XEILSON'S MIDHIRST FACTORY. Mr. W. ,T. Ncilson, who owns a cheese factory at Miclhirst, lias boon running proprietory factories for eleven years. His present factory was opened in' October, 1018, and is a fine concrete structurel, which cost between £SOOO and £GOOO to build and equip. For the first season 170 tons of cheese was manufactured, and the suppliers were paid Is lOid for their butter-fat. The sea- j son was started with two vats, and a I third has since been installed. The I factory is receiving the milk supply of J 15(30 cows, and is capable of dealing with the supply of 2noo. Preparations are being made for the manufacture of \vhc~ butter, and will shortly be completed. As a result of this' the pnyont. to suppliers this seaso'n will be just under 2s. Mr. Neilson lias 1 lately been approached by a number of dairy farmers on a road far removed from any existing factory, and an agreement has been entered into (o open another factory for their convenience. Every factory Mr. Neilsnn has started has been a success and in each case it has been taken over by co-operative companies. As an instance of dairying land in the Midhirst district will produce it mav be mentioned that last month a supplier to Mr._ Jfeilson's factory, who farms 00 acre's, and milks 24 cows, received for his butter-fat last month £BB 10s, which works out at £3 13s uer oow.

TARIKI DAIRY COMPANY. The Tariki Dairy Company, whose mam factory is situate at Tariki, about seven miles from Stratford, was established in 1907, and its output at the end of the season was 104 tons, the turnover bein;; £IO.OOO. In 1010, the first year of the Stratford Show, this had grown to 254 tons. In. 1917 the suppliers of the Rugby road branch of the Midhirst Dairy Company decided to throw in their lot with Tariki, which erected a modern concrete cheese factory on the site of the old creamery. This considerably increased the company'* output, which'last season reached 410 tons, valued at £40,00". Mr. T. McAlroy has been manager since flie inception of the company, whose produce has always \<ad a great reputation for quality, and secured numerous prizes at various shows. Mr. W. E. Pereival, of Inglewood, has also been secretary of the company throughout. Mr. W. V. Harkness is the present chairman of directors, having, in 1010, succeeded Mr. J. Knowles, who had held the I position, since the company was formed. MAHAKU . j The Mahaku Company has been in existence 10 years, during which time Mr. A. Coyne has been chairman, ana Mr. T. H. Penn secretary. The district is situated out back, and its scope is somewhat limited. During the first year, 524,080 lbs- of milk was received, for which about 10 tons of whey butter was made, the total receipts being £OOO 3s lid. In 1014, a cheese plant was installed, and last year 671.341 lbs. of milk was received, for which BS,'d22 lbs cheese (over .10 tons), were manufactured, the receipts being £2071 15s (id, the pay-out Is 3d. There are prospects of increased supply. OTHER FACTORIES. The Waingongoro Dairy Company was also established the same season as a separate concern, the Midhirst Dairy Company also having had a creamery in' that district. Its output was about 100 tons, which returned £0552 Ss lid, the suppliers receiving Is 10|d. This company has three directors, Messrs P. Mnrrisey (chairman), W. and •I. Brown. ■ Mr. F- A. Rich is manager and Mr. W. Power secretary.The Huiroa Company was also established last vear, Mr. 11. S. Kidd being chairman, W. Power secretary, and J. Murray manager. The yield was about 20 tons, producing £4151 17s Id.