THE DAIRY POOL.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1922, Page 7

THE DAIRY POOL.

FURTHER CRITICISM. H. A. Hunt (Stratford) writes: Having read with interest the various correspondence published in yours of various dates for and against the pro. posed pool, particularly that of “Dairyman,” could “Dairyman” oblige his fellow dairyman of Stratford by giving his name for publication as by so doing he would add more weight to his arguments ? Out of good faith to the shareholders and suppliers of the various factories, I consider the directors of every dairy company should call their shareholders together and discuss the proposed pool and come to a decision either for or against the proposal, as the directors of a company are only elected to dispose of their produce from year to year, not to pledge the output of their factories to any body of men for disposal for an unlimited period. I have just received a copy of the balance sheet of the Smart Road freezing works, which gives some idea of the holy muddle a few cookies can make when entrusted with the handling of a big business concern. The Smart Road freezing company, as per balance sheet, slaughtered a total of 82,042 head of sheep, lambs and cattle, on the handling of which they acknowledge a loss of £86,917 Ils Bd, a loss exceeding over 20/- per head on all stock slaughtered, practically more than the price paid for the stock. lin other words, had they got the stock for nothing there would still have been a deficit. Fellow dairy farmers, it is the sa(me class of men who wish to control our produce with unlimited powers to make any levy they desire. Two of the chief pool promoters arje directors of the freezing company which made the loss aforementioned. Now they are asking for about fifteen to twenty millions worth of produce to play with. Like Dairyman, I for one do not doubt the good intentions of Messrs Morton, Grounds, Connett, Massey and Co., but. as the parson says, “the way to Hell is paved with good intentions,” and the good intentions of the poolists will not save us dairy-farmers from the bankruptcy court if they show as little business ability when handling our produce as they have done in managing the Smart Road freezing works. Again why do not the pool promoters make definite statements and give names of the large firms who are defrauding us so much instead of so much innuendo If they did we could place more confidence in them. Up to the present Mr. Corrigan has been the only one, unfortunately for him, as Mr. Ranford immediately gave him the lie direct in answer. Guess again, Mr. Corrigan! MR. CORRIGAN'S REPLY. Mr. J. R. Corrigan writes to the Hawera Star:—Mr. Frank Ranford challenges a statement I made at a dairy producers’ meeting at Wanganui. The statement I made at Wanganui was that a firm bought butter off .Stratford factory for Is Bid, yet the same day, for exactly the same class of article, the best offer hey could make Kak-aramea was Is 7£d. Now the facts are these: The chairman of Kakaramea factory told me the offer they got (Is 7%d) and the firm making it, and the chairman of the Stratford Dairy Factory (Mr. Frank Ranford) told me they sold their butter for something better than Is 84d to the same firm. If Mr. Ranford made a deliberate misstatement, well, he deceived me. I cannot think he would do so. I must put it down to his lapse of memory.