WEST COAST REFRIGERATING COMPANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1922, Page 8

WEST COAST REFRIGERATING COMPANY.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual general meeting of the West Coast Refrigerating Company was held at Patea on Wednesday. The secretary apologised for the absence of the chairman, Mr. R. Pease, who had received an urgent call to the north. Mr. S. McKay was voted to the chair. In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, the chairman said shareholders were to be congratulated on the position of the company, which was. notwithstanding the serious loss last year due to the fire, in as sound a position as could be desired. It was stated, inter alia : “As mentioned in the report, part of the company’s buildings, and almost the whole of the plant and machinery, was destroyed by fire on March 21, 1921. Preparation was at once made to clear the site for rebuilding, orders at the same time being cabled to England for the necessary replacement of what plant could be economically reconditioned. The buildings, where renewed, have been built in concrete, with foundations suitable for adding another storey if required; provision was made for freezing and storing about 18,000 boxes of butter, but as this space was totally inadequate provision for dealing with butter to the extent of a further 40,000 boxes is now being made, by increasing the Insulation of the two-storey concrete building on the wharf, and installing direct expansion piping. It was found that one row of concrete piles in this building had settled and there were signs of fracture in the® beams. Owing to wa'nt of room, a good proportion of butter had to be dealt with at the Patea Freezing Company’s works. In rebuilding the works, the risk of fire has been seriously considered, and is now reduced to a minimum. The whole of the plant in the engine-room has either been replaced with new plant or reconditioned equal to new, and is running in first-class order. There has been a very large increase in the quantity of cheese and butter for the past season. over the season 1921-22, amounting :o 48,33" crates cheese and 5725 boxes of butter. Converting cheese to butter, this represents an increase of 27 per cent, over the previous season, due possibly in a large measure to the very favorable season, and also, no doubt, to the farms previously grazed upon coming into dairying. It is quite possible, for the same, reason that there may be a similar increase this season, providing the climatic conditions are the same as last season. As a matter of fact, there has been a steady increase since the works began in 1901 to date, from 1541 tons 1901 to 16,475 tons; representing a monetary increase in value from £115,475 in 1901, taking the then value of butter that year at Bd, as against £1,074,366 in 1922 on a basis of Is 3d for butter and 7d per lb for cheese.

From a table prepared, it shows that the South Taranaki factories made an aggregate saving of £13,419 by shipping through Patea as against shipping through New Plymouth. It means a saving of 15s 4d per ton on'all dairy produce railed from Hawera to Patea as against New Plymouth. This on the gross tonnage really means 17s per ton on produce. Your attention has been drawn on previous occasions to the fact that the shipping available is totally inadequate for the volume of business, which is ever growing, and in consequence a considerable portion of cheese had to be shipped via Wanganui. The shipping company has now decided definitely to build, but the new steamer cannot be here until the end of 1923. During the year a portion of the Hawera store was fitted up for cool storage for local goods and also .for ice-making, and as all the available room was filled, another room 33 x 22 has been added. A ready sale for ice has been met with, and this branch of the business has also been increased. On the whole very few adverse reports of cheese shipments to London have been received, but shipments to West of England have not been at all satisfactory, which in our opinion is due to the want of proper facilities to handle this class of cargo, and also to long delays on the New Zealand coast after taking the cheese on board. The matter is, we understand, being taken up by the National Dairy Association in making the new contracts. The quantity shipped to the West of England was 42,177 crates of cheese and 4818 boxes of butter, and to London 141,803 crates of cheese and 66,943 boxes of butter. After the adoption of the report and balance sheet, the chairman declared the two retiring directors, Messrs. A. C. Pease and T. Walsh, re-elected, there being no other nominaMr. H. B. Burkedin was reappointed auditor for the ensuing year. The chairman was voted £lOO and the directors £2O each for services during the past year. The directors were recommended to consider a bonus to the staff. —Press.