NATIONAL DAIRY ASSOCIATION

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1922, Page 6

NATIONAL DAIRY ASSOCIATION

THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE. PROBLEMS OF PRODUCERS. INTERESTING DISCUSSIONS. (From Our Special Reporter.) Palmerston N., June 21. The twenty-eighth annual conference of the National Dairy Association was he’d at Palmerston North on Tuesday, whm Mr. Arthur Morton presided over an attendance of about 250 directors of dairy factories. The following Taranaki dairy factories were represented: Awatuna, Alton, Ararata, Bell Block, Cardiff, Eltham, Hawera, Jolls, Kaponga, Kakaramea. Kiimata, Leppertoii, Srere Mere, Mangorei, Midhirst, Mangatoki, Maketawa, Moa Farmers, Ngaere, Normanby, North Taranaki, Omata, Oaonui, Okato-Puniho, Patua, Riverdale, Rahotu, Stratford, Tikorangi, Tarata, Tariki, and Waverley.

The balance sheet showed a loss of £16,290 10s lid. The liabilities were shown at £76,069 6s Bd, viz.: Capital account, £35,596 17s 2d; sundry creditors (including Bank of New Zealand), £40,472 9s. Assets were: Sundry debtors, £30,696 13s 8d; war loan bonds, £4200 18s sd; goods in stock, £24,150 8s sd; office furniture, etc., £730 15s 3d.

In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet (already published), the chairman gave an interesting address on. the problems of the dairy-farmer (reported elsewhere).

Discussing the balance sheet, he expressed regret that it was not a pleasant one. The balance sheet showed a loss of over £16,000 during the year, but that was less than half the profits made since the war started. In April, 1914, profits stood at £2709, and last year they stood at £35,596. The loss was due to the fact that, in order to reduce their large stocks these had been sold at less than cost, and the balance had been taken out of stock at much less than cost price. Mr. Morton said that at the previous meeting it was stated that the directors intended to recognise the services of their late secretary (Mr. J. G. Harkness), and they had done so by granting him a retiring allowance of £2OO per annum. He then formally’ moved the adoption of the report and balance sheet.

Mr. F. Ranford (Stratford), in seconding, congratulated the chairman on the explanation given regarding the balance sheet. Regarding the action of the directors in pensioning off Mr. Harkness, he considered that shareholders should first Lave been consulted before the directors committed themselves to an expenditure of £2OO per annum as pension, thus practically instituting a new • principle. In reply to questions by Mr. Ranford, the chairman stated that the Marketing Association was paying for work done by the National Dairy Association, and also contributing half the salary of the National Dairy Association’s Home agent. Mr. Marx (Mangatoki) considered that it would have been better had the secretary’s services been recognised by the presentation of a lump sum.

Mr. J. S. Connett (New Plymouth) considered that the directors should hold more frequent meetings and so keep more in touch with the business.

QUESTIONS ABOUT SHIPPING. Mr. Cook (Greytown) asked whether the Marketing Association was receiving preference to other companies at the port of Wellington. He had been led to understand that just recently, while the stores were practically bare of the Marketing Association’s cheese, other factories had as many as 2500 crates in store in Wellington. The secretary (Mr. Brash) said that there had been available during the season a certain amount of space for shipments to the West Coast of England. Very few merchants would allow their factories to send their cheese to the West of England. The Marketing Association (London end) had agreed to take a fair proportion of its cheese on the West Coast boats. Those factories which agreed to send to the West Coast were exactly on the same footing as the association. There was difficulty in filling the boats for the West of England. The Marketing Association received no preference.

Mr. Belcher (Cardiff) asked if butter obtained preference over cheese in regard to shipping. The chairman explained that it had dore so for years, because the shipping companies would not take cheese unless they could get a fair quantity of butter also. The butter was loaded in the bottom of the ship, to give stability to the ship; whilst the cheese was loaded above it. There A’as not sufficient cheese space available. The National Dairy’ Association had been very much concerned over the position, and was continually placing the matter before the shipping companies. The chairman pointed out that the that shipped the most to the West Coast had got away the most cheese. He gave figures showing that Auckland shipped 175,000 crates, of which 6064 went to West Coast; New Plymouth, 140,742, including 13,232 to the West Coast; Patea, 208,201, including 49,399 to the West Coast; and Wellington 227,000, including 26,000 to the West Coast. Mr. Marx said that this opened up the principle as to whether the shipping companies should say where the produce was to be sent. Mr. Brash replied that the shipping company that traded to the West Coast ports did not trade to other parts of England. Mr. Irons (Wairarapa) though the Loudon office should be reorganised. Their Home agent should be able to keep them more closely in touch with the market. Advice had been received in Wellington of the present rise 10 days before their agent sent the information. He deprecated their agent acting for two concerns. Mr. Sutton (Moa Farmers) held that when the National Dairy Association received cabled information from their Home agent, factories should be notified by wire. Other speakers considered that it was necessary to have an intelligence department that could at once disseminate reliable information regarding the trend of the markets. Mr. Brash observed that while the butter freight was “only’” 100 per cent, abo/e the pre-war rate, cheese was 175 per cent, above. The only remedy would be a refusal to enter into a new contract which did not make an equitable adjustment. Mr. Corrigan (Hawera) stated that cheese which had left New Zealand in good condition had arrived at Home showing serious deterioration. He desired to know whether temperatures were not kept low enough during the voyage. 1 The chairman indicated that the cause

; of the deterioration had not been discov- • ered. So far, there was not “tell-tale” thermometer that recorded for the whole length of the voyage. Commenting upon a reference to the Marketing Association, Mr. Morton said that the relations of the National Dairy Association with that association would be discussed at a conference of the executive during the week. The annual report was adopted. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS. The following directors were elected for the ensuing year: Messrs. Edward Allen (Auckland), *H. D. Forsyth (Taranaki), T. Moss (Wellington), John Gildea (Hawke’s Bay). OTHER- BUSINESS. A proposal from the Lake View Cooperative Dairy Company, that for representation purposes on the board of the association a district should be created from Masterton southwards, and that a member of the board should be a resident of this district, was lost on the voices. It was resolved that a solicitor should be appointed to whom dairy companies might refer legal questions arising out of I their business. A remit from the Opunake Co-operative Dairy Company, to the effect that the Department of Agriculture be asked to furnish to dairy companies the results of the tests made for moisture content in butter as ascertained by their officers from time to time at the trading stores of the Dominion, lapsed owing to there being no representative of the Opunake Dairy Comi pany present, and no one else was willing i to propose the resolution. QUESTION OF LOCATION. The meeting resumed to-day (Wednesday), some time being spent discussing the question of where the next conference is to be held. There appears to be some dissatisfaction over the question of concession tickets issued by the Manawatu A. & P. Association. The hall in which the conference is held is situated in the show buildings, and cannot be entered except through the show gates. The show issued concession tickets, giving three admissions daily for four days, for which a charge of 2/6 was made. This was increased last year ,■ to 5/-, causing considerable dissatisfaction. , As the outcome of representations to the : Manawatu Show Committee, the price was reduced to 2/6, but the concession only allowed two admissions daily for three j days, and this, it was contended, made it dearer than the previous year, as members had to attend meetings on three sessions daily.

Mr. Harding (Northern Wairoa) moved that the next conference be held in Hamilton. There had, he said, been many complaints, especially in regard to the arrangements regarding ticket concessions. Mr. Remnier seconded.

Mr. Whitmore Searle suggested that they should add to the resolution, “unless satisfactory arrangements could be made with the executive of the Manawatu A. & P. Association.”

Mr. W. C. Green (Rahotu) considered that Hamilton was out of the question, owing to the shortage of accommodation. Mr. Anderson moved and Mr. Belvedere seconded, that the conference be held at Wellington.

Mr. Corrigan (Hawera) advocated the claims of Taranaki, which he described as “the Garden of Eden.” He favored a change, and urged that the meeting should be changed triennially, viz., at Hamilton, Palmerston North and Taranaki. As president of the South Taranaki Winter Show, he could assure them of a hearty welcome and liberal treatment as regards show tickets.

Mr. J. Gow then proposed a further amendment, that the executive should inquire into the possibility of holding the conference at Hamilton, and report to the next annual meeting at Palmerston North. Mr. Ewing, in seconding, considered that the matter should be dealt with on its merits, irrespective of concession tickets. The amendment was carried. IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY. Mr. McDonald (Te Horo) moved that the executive be recommended to take into consideration the question of representation, also that the executive be reduced to five, that the executive hold monthly meetings, and that a more efficient method of reporting to members be adopted. This was seconded by Mr. F. Ranford (Stratford). Mr. Corrigan (Hawera) suggested that the resolution should be split into two. He quite favored monthly meetings of the executive, and a more efficient method of reporting. This was adopted and the first part was lost. Some discussion took place over the question of a more important method of reporting to members. The chairman pointed out that factories were very freely circularised from the National Dairy Associations’ office. Several members considered that factories should at once receive telegraphic advice as to any fluctuations in the market price of butter and cheese. It was not thought (hat factories would object to paying for that information. It was also stated that the agents of the Home merchants received cable advice in advance of that received by the National Dairy Association

The chairman did not think the agents from their Home agent.

did receive advice ahead of the National Dairy Association. It was from their Home agent that the first advice was received about the rise of butter to 210/- and 212/-. Information was sent out to factories by circular as soon as it was received. He agreed that the information contained i>. their Home agent’s cablegrams regarding prices might be circulated throughout the Press, which was always ready to assist them.

The motion was then put and lost, on a show of hands.