DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1922, Page 7

DAIRY INDUSTRY.

WAITARA TARANAKI COMPANY. THE ANNUAL MEETING. The twenty-fourth annual meeting of the Waitara-Taranakl Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd., was held at the factory, Waitara Road, on Saturday. There was a good attendance of shareholders, and the chairman of directors (Mr. J. H. Smith) presided. In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet (already published), Mr. Smith said that he specially wished to draw attention to the fact that the balance sheet covered a period of 12 montha, while the previous one had covered only 11 months. This point must be taken into consideration when making comparisons. He congratulated suppliers on the great increase of 91 tons in their output Mr. Smith referred to the increases in the company’s output from year to year, till, for the last period, a total of 347 tons odd had been reached. He attributed this to the remarkable season which had been experienced for the growth of feed for the cows, and to the desire of the farmers to increase their output to compensate for low prices. The quality of the butter had been well maintained, the average grade being 92.12, as against 91.93 for the previous year, while the overrun was satisfactory at 18.1 as compared with 18.8.

Regarding marketing, Mr. Smith said the past esason had been one of anxiety to the directors owing to the fluctuations of the London market. The ordinary monthly advances made at the beginning of the season proving too high, adjustments had been made later ef the amounts overpaid. The directors had been unanimously of the opinion that these adjustments could be more equitably made at the time Instead of allowing anticipated surpluses of future shipments to right them. Suppliers who had left the factory had also returned the amounts overpaid. The chairman then explained that the holding of the annual meeting had been deferred in anticipation of receiving cable advice concerning the sale of some of their butter in London, and he was pleased to be able to report that the shipment had realised 227 s per cwt., a record so far as this season was concerned. This would give them several hundred pounds over book values. Various items on the balance sheet were then dealt with, Mr. Smith drawing particular attention to the fuel bill, which was considerably lower than last year. He had gone into the question with the manager, and had been told that the cooler had been mainly responsible. Before closing, Mr. Smith made eulogistic reference to the work of the manager (Mr. H. Liinmer) and staff, and to the secretary (Mr. H. Baily). Answernig a question concerning the dual positions tilled by Mr. Ellison, as London representative of the Co-operative Wholesale Society and the National Dairy Association, Mr Smith said he understood this was to be altered. The . secretary said that average amounts paid out for the whole of the year, including that day’s appropriation, were over 1/4 for milk and 1/4’4 for cream. The report and Dalance sheet were then adopted. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The retiring directors, Messrs. J. H. Smith and H. H. Grayling, were unanimously reelected, while Mr. Duff was reappointed auditor at the same remuneration as for last year. GENERAL. In reply to a question by Mr. Grayling as to why their representative in London did not hold their butter on a rising market, Mr. Smith said that the explanation given by their London manager, who had lately visited New Zealand, was that they had regular customers whom they must supply. The manager had said that the conditions were exactly similar to a retailer of benzine; who refused to give the spirit to his regular customers when ba had it, because it was anticipated that the market would rise. The question of giving the casein company some idea us to the amount, of casein they were going to make this year was finally shelved by leaving it to individual suppliers, as was the case last year. A discussion next took place regarding the formation of a Testing Association, Messrs. Purger and Pedersen being strong advocates. Mr. Blattler, however, decried the idea, but the substance of his argument was the amount of "faking” that could be done. In his experience it had not proved worth while, but it was pointed out that any scheme for their benefit would fail if the dairy-farmers resorted to such tactics. The question was dropped on the secretary stating that he would put the official concerned of the Agricultural Department in touch with Messrs. Purger and Pedersen. It was not a matter for the factory, although they could still have their cows tested there as in the past, did they so desire.