TE AWAMUTU CHEESE FACTORY.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1667, 13 March 1883, Page 2

TE AWAMUTU CHEESE FACTORY.

It is with unaffected regret that we have to chionicle'fur'tli'ei'icompHcations in the management of ,the pioneer cheese^ faetot# df 'vVaik,ajb. Started ' under sifch' .happy auspice's and continued with such 'success J there I'KaV nevertheless, "I been Unking vithin its piecincts a wretched spit it of dissension, which, save that it has hithcito been outweighed by healthier influences, would have wrecked tjic institution completely. There his, fio'm £he fir&t been a most unfoi tdnate' conilict of authority between the manager, ' on the one hand', and a few. of the fluec-i tors, on the other, and though the former, has hitherto been supported by a majority on the rtiteelorafce, he 'feels that h« ofrn no longer continue the struggle. ■ YW have niadi' every endeavour to get at the root of the tiouble, feeling that as the welfare ol the distuct Was to some extent bound up in the fortunes nf itb most prominent indyqtcyj ,ifc'is our duty to do so. -But it is only with thegieatest difficulty that wo can glean information. \Yfe na'vfei however/ obtained ,a "copy Yok the manager's resignation, with a fe\v facts bearing thereupou,andthese,weshall v ' pfiiit' tor the information of 'those 1 who are interested. If anyone is unconsciously wronged, these ic6lumns> will be open to him, and we shall not consider it in any way derogatory to our dignity io make the amende honorable if circumstances render such >a) course expedient. Wo are utterly unbiassed, our desire being to serve the "public inteiest and that only. The following is a copy of the manager's letter -resigning his position :— - -■„ ' < i »'•• ' I? Aw.iniuHl, March Oth/1855. ,; To CiIAiAmAN Wl3 DIRt'CTo'RS. ' Gcntlomon, — In consequence of the continued hostility evinced towards me on .ill occasion!) by Messrs James Cunningham, Burke and Chuichcs, three of your ducctors, and lor no other reasons, I hereby gi\e you tin cc calendar months notice ofinj intention to terminate my service with \our company. Ihis notice is in conformity with paiAtrciph .thioo of my agreement jwith, jou, be'anng date 'Bth ! June/ 18S2 — YnurS obediently,' ' Horaci' W.V- p ou . It appears that Mr Walpolo's former icsignation., tendered three months ago. was not in accoi dance with the terms of his t agreement, which prevented his or. the company giving notice until 'the first ' of April, such notice on / either side to be for three months. Neither Mr Walpole nor the directors seemed to be aware of this. The latter did not' -think it 1 'worth while to consult their lawyer up.cm so unimportant a matter, but M soon a& the manager's attention was diawn to it, he immediately withdrew his resignation. Since this time, however, be : has f been subjected to the most harrassing treatment by 1 'those directors opposed 'to ' him', wlio^re, nqw ( in , the majority, and^.he. feels his only course' is to sever nid'oonnection with j;h.e f^or^ on the 80th Jluie. «' Th 6' direotdrs,' or at least -'t]be majority, interfere and dictate to the maniiger'on.th^lmbstrt'riflin'g details of the factory management, refusing to abide by Ms i tests', 'and .insisting that lie 1 should takein milk which iwa'steither totally 'unfitted'for* the" purposes of cheese-making, or much' below the; established 1 standard. cThey 'have beeh-repeatedly- urged by the manager to find a.market fqytho bneese^ as with the limitecj staff it was. dtterly impossible 'that the atorei'oonvi'cbukl ireoeive the proper' aniount of attention, but to this no heed has been paid, the conSequencebeingifchataquantity of the newly macle'fcb-eese is spoiling; ifChen, again, against the express sadyi.ee pi t\\e mana^ej? 1 , hall /!ton ofTonWqnSf4a i 'aent away by train loose, cover;*) ehly with a tarpaulin, wjth the. result that they susteii^ed considerable injury in transit. The object of the directors /was . pro>fes^ediy to t sav.e eypeuse^but-th^- uoy j see ' I hbw"p J eriny-wise and pound- foolisn ! they have been. Economy — or ra,tb,sr we should say parsimony soem^ fc» be a distinguishing feature ■yfte Gonduct of certain of th,^ direo^oi's/ $6iM-\MIIJ ! 'jf^J^ra .telfevei it?— lliere^fi" actualKy^, minute on the books to the effect that the manager be called, upon to pny the cost of printing the regulations of the company ! If these statements ,are^ b^sg^ an for beheving^that they s^re, is it to I>e wandered a.t t^a,t the manager should ret^re fram^th^wbole bnalnega in-disgust ? Ja it not^Tbime l -that- -Me Btepped in and demanded to know the rights , and , wrongs of ,the case ? We think JSOi ancV (mi yj wonder thatrtl^rhave so<,long-i?eenV coi>Tfentr^'to*,reTnain? J ifi l the background ybllfi^fef'/lirectbr^ \i(er.e pla,yingvb*ttiledoie mi 9\ystinws, ,