GERALDINE DAIRY FACTORY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1798, 4 October 1888, Page 4

GERALDINE DAIRY FACTORY.

The following is a continuation of our report of the adjourned annual meeting of this Company, which took place on Tuesday last: The chairman (Mr W. Postlethwaite) said one farmer had informed him that his cows had realised as much as £4 each for their milk, besides keeping hia own family and several other families in milk. If people thought-they could make their own cheese for sale, they must make it good enough to go Home, as they could get plenty of Akaroa cheese in New Zealand at 2d per lb. Mr Cameron did not think Akaroa cheese could be got for less than 3d per lb, unless it was refuse. Mr .Pearpoint bore out the chairman’s statement.

jvir iMopro pointed out that it re quired 331 b of milk to make a pound of butter. He thought the factory the more profitable way of disposing of the milk. r Mr Slack did not think the directors were to blame for the present state of affairs. The failure was owing to the shareholders not taking the shares up as was first intended. Only a very few of the shares had been taken up, arfd, the company had been started with insufficient capital. The money had been well spent, and the buildings were as good now as when erected farmers did not take sufficient interest in the concern. (Hear, hear.) They should remember the factory was for the benefit of the whole district. He did not understand why they should hesitate to support the 'industry, as be did not think any industry had a better prospect of paying than the dairy factory. He pointed out that the company con'd make cheese much cheaper than pi vate individuals. If private individuiis could muke cheese at a paying rate, the.factory surely could

do so. He would like them to look farther afield than New Zealand. 1 hey must look to the foreign markets. Their only way to bring New Zealand cheese into lavorable notice in the foreign markets was to have a uniform quality of article, and that uniformity could only be obtained by making 'he cheese in factories, and not by private individuals. He hoped that for the benefit of the district, and New Zealand generally, the farmers would put their shoulders to the wheel and support the industry. Mr Mundell said the thing now was for the shareholders to say what they intended to do. There was no question but that the directors would carry on she factory but not as a company. No suggestion was forthcoming, and it was unanimously decided (as reported in our last issue) to wind up the company voluntarily.