TE AWAMUTU CHEESE FACTORY.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1669, 17 March 1883, Page 3

TE AWAMUTU CHEESE FACTORY.

Mr James Cunningham, oup of the directors of the company, writes as follows under date March 13th. Tho communication did not leach us until Thursday :—" To tilio Editor, Sir: -In an article in your to-day's issue you lament ' further complications in the management ot the pioneer cheese factory of Waikato,' such 'further complications' appearing to mean the resignation of the manager ; with reference to which I have no hesitation in saying that it has been greatly to tho hurt ot the company that this ' complication' has been delayed so long. Mr Walpolc has seen fit to publish the letter containing his resignation, giving as his only icason foi icsigtiing, the spirit ol hostility towards him of myself and others of the divcctois. I would have liked him to have given some more tangible leason ; to have shown some act of mine in which this hostility had been displayed, and to have given me an opportunity of e\ plaining what may have appeared to him as such. As it is, I cm ouly disclaim any 'spirit of hostility' to Mr Walpolc personally, though my earnest desire to sec the factoiy managed in such a way as would insure its success could scaiccly fail to appear to him to bo diiected specially at himself. Three months ago, Mr Walpole tendered Ins resolution, when it was accepted; he then requested to be allowed to withdraw it. which was declined. It now appe.usbya clause of his agiecment, lie was engaged for twelve months certnin. Mr Walpolc has discoveied, and takes advantage of this, so that the company, iioh }is volnn, must have the benefit of his sci \ ices till the end. of Juno. That the directors interfere with the manager in his work is not the case, but they have found it necessary to associate the secretaiy with him in testing the milk, as previous to their doing so he was so rapidly cutting down the number of suppliers that it seemed a8 if he w ould soon have been left with empty vats of a inoinnig. A number of the suppliors left off sending milk altogether, ami othcis who weic picpaiing to start dairies wctc &o friirh toned at tho risk of their milk being refused that they did not continue. That their distrust was not giouiidlcss has since been sufficiently pio\ed. They are, however, again gaining confidence when they sec they arc not to be loft enthcly to the mercy of the manager. I am surprised to learn through your paper that there is a quantity ot the newly-made cheese in the factoiy .--poiling thiough a scaicity of hands. I would ha\e thought with all VI r Waipole's partiality for posturing before the public, he would ha\ c taken some other means of acquainting the duectois with such a fact. If it is so, it is for some other reason than want of hands, as there are already three of them to work up about 310 gallons of milk daily, and it lias been much lets. It is quite true that half a ton of cheese was sent away by tiain, loose, possibly against the express advice of tho manager, but certainly at the e,\picss desiie ot the purchaser, and so far as the diiectors have been advised it leeched no injury whatever in tiansit. The last charge in your indictment is that Mr Walpolc was lequiml to pay the cost of printing a code of legnlations for the company. The directors never had a code of regulations printed. Before the factory started, Mr "Walpole, without being authorised by the diiectois, had a code of legulations di.iwn up and printed, purpoitiug to be" by otdcr of the diiectois" and signed by him as manager. When tho dneetors weic shown the rules they declined to adopt them, being, peihaps, the more lendy to do so as by one inle the directois weic to be .shut out of the factory. When the account was lcccivod from the piintei, it being consuleicd that the mlcs weie of no use to the company, and entirely an effort of Mr Walpole's own fei tile imagination, it was very propeily left for him to pay foi the printing. You have very kindly offeied the use of your columns for a leply to the charges contained in your aiticle, and to make, the (imnitfc honuumble for wrong you may have done, if expedient. I trust you will consider the justice, and not the expediency, of making Wvmmcmh for the wiong you have done the directors in adopting a one-sided and untruthful statement, identifying yourself with your informant, and charging them with unnecessary interference in matters they weie bound to look after, and with parsimony in not paying for the printing of a code of regulations w Inch they ne\ er made, never ordered, and never adopted, and which w.is an insult to their common sense"