CANTERBURY MEAT CO.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 18 December 1913, Page 5

CANTERBURY MEAT CO.

THE ANNUAL MEETING,

(By ftkoraph—Prttt Auociation.) CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night

The annual meeting of shareholders of the Canterbury Frozen Meat and Dairy Produce Export Company, Ltd., was held this afternoon. Sir George Clifford (Chairman of Directors) presided. The directors' report stated that the net profit for the year ending November 30th, 1913, wag £44,838 14s Bd, which, with the amount brought forward from last year, made the amount at credit of the profit and loss acount £46,765 16s 3d. Out of this £SOOO had been add T ed to the general reserve fund, increasing it to £50,000; £IO,OOO had also> been added to the insurance reserve fund, bringing the same up to £20,000; a sum of £IO,OOO had been written off works'; an amount of £6500 had been placed to reserve to provide for renewals and replacements in progress and work® authorised. After • apportioning these amounts, and deducting the dividends paid at the half-yearly meeting, there remained a sum of £8666 14s 3d, which the directors proposed should be dealt with as folio wis l : To payment of a further dividend of 3 per cent on preference and 3 per cent, on ordinary shares, making a total dividend for the year of 6 per cent, and 8 per cent, respectively, £6599 2s; to carry forward £2067 12s 3d; total £8666 14s 3d. The quantities of stock dealt with at the company's works were: At Belfast 256,660, at Fairfield 348,083, at Pareora 307,851, total 912,594. In mohring the adop-, tion of the report, tlie chairman said the prospects for the season were excellent. The enhanced demand for meat, and the relative increase of population in the northern hemisphere to Die supply of animal food, must have a material influence upon the price obtainable for the highest quality, which they were fortunate enough to be able to offer from New Zealand, and move particularly from Canterbury. ' Having this pre-emi-nence, let them make the best of it. He wotnld reiterate two small and far from difficult precautions, which were not always well attended to. • Sheep breeders, when tailing lambs intended for export, should see that the dock was made sufficiently short, and throughout the existence of the lamb, and especially prior to its depsatch to the factory, they should have it carefully dagged. Negligence in this latter particular was often cruelty, and was always bad farming. Good farming consisted in using commonsense to secure the best health in stock, and consequently the best profit.