WAIKATO MILK SUPPLIERS' UNION.

Waikato Argus, Volume VI, Issue 400, 18 February 1899, Page 2

WAIKATO MILK SUPPLIERS' UNION.

The following copy of a letter, addressed to Mr Spragg, has been forwarded to us for publication :

We, the undersigned (being the Chair, man, Secretary and Ayeut of this Union), beg to inform you that wc address yon in terms of a special resolution of the Unio:i ; and we wish here to remark that we understand from a letter from Mr J. C. Lovell, of London, that you are the managing partner in the business, "equally interested" in it with himself, hence we write to you direct, thus departing from our previous action when Mr J. C. Lovell was written to. as we then thought you only manager (as you sign yourself), and it was better to go to headquarters at once. This will explain away, what you termed " discourtesy to yourself." You will remember that in a letter which you sent the Union, you stated that you were willing to sell out your business to them ; it therefore acted on your suggestion, arranged for capital, and now addresses you about the terms of purchase. First, let us tell you that twelve of the creameries declared in favour of cooperation, and that ton of them went further, and gave us a mandate to formulate a scheme for the co-operation of the Waikato creameries on the lines proposed by Mr R. R. Hunt, who has been re-affirmed our agent. The mandate directed us to see " on what terms the New Zealand Dairy Association would sell out their Waikato butter business south of Mercer, iucluding the 'Anchor brand' trade mark."

Our agent made you an offer for this business of £9,000 (nine thousand pounds cash, which you declined. The majority of the milk suppliers wish to arrange with you in a friendly way to buy the business, but we must tell you that au influential sectiou of them poiut out that some of your plant has been in constant use for 14 years, and that it is not possible to skim with old separators as closely as the brand new modern machines can do. Also, that a number of the suppliers want to ereot new factories, and not to purohase your plant. We are also particularly desired to remind you that for every pound sterling which your Association has in the butter business, the suppliers have ten, and they look upon the Waikato butttr business as theirs, subject only to the interest your Association holds in it, and for which they are willing to give a fair price. We, therefore, have to ask you to be good enough to name your lowest cash price for the business as afore stated, and should such price bo one which we cannot eccept, we are instructed to ask you if you will settle the value by arbitration, under the New Zealand Arbitration Act ? Conditions to be as follows :—Business to be taken over on the first day of June next, to give us time to have everything re.idy for the next beason ; no stock or book debts to be taken over by us ; you to bind yourself and partner, not to do business in the Waikato during the next three season in terms of the same bond, which Messrs Reynolds and Farley gave to you. We should like to have this business settled one way or another, before the end of this month If you wish to talk over the business with us in a friendly manner, the Chairman and Secretary are empowered to go to Auckland, and along with Mr Hunt, to confer with you, about.the proposed purchase. Out of courtesy to Mr Lovell, who kindly quoted us, through our agent, the terms upon which he would sell our butter in London, we intend to send him a copy of this letter —Wo are Yours faithfully, for and on behalf of the Waikato Milk Suppliers' Union,--JbHN Fisher, Chairman. Martin Butler, Secretary. R. R. Hunt, Agent,