PROPOSED JAM FACTORY AT CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2054, 5 September 1885, Page 3

PROPOSED JAM FACTORY AT CAMBRIDGE.

A MBimsr; of settlors called to consider the above mutter was held at the Cambridge Auction Mart on Thursday afternoon. There w«s a large and leprescntative attendanco of farmers and business men, and the chair was occupied by Mi rin>« Wells. The Chaiun.ui opened the meeting in the 9"<ual manner, and cilled upon Mr Covvper who had taken a prominent p.ut in this matter, and was piepaied with all the necess.uy informal ion. . Mr Covvper then submitted the following proposals: 1. That the company be foi mod under the " Companies Act, 1882, with a nomin.il capital of £1000 in £1 shares and with a limited liability. Six hundied pounds of this amount would bo a suthcient sum with which to commence active operation*, and this could be called up in the following manner; ten shillings and s,x pence jwr share to be paid on application, ' the same on allotment, and the sanio in cnlls at stated inteivals. When the business has grown into larger proportions and the plant an J building require extension the unpaid balance of tho -übscubed capital can bo called up. 2. The operations of the company should not bo confined to jam making and fuut-preserving only ; but should include the making <»f pickles, tomato and other sauces, ketchup, ke, as well as the tinning of honey, for all of which there is ample sc >pc already exi-t ing in this district, and for which a ieady market can bo found. 3. The following is a schedule of tho plant that would bo necessary for the present; the, puces are also shown, and as the list has been supplied by a hrm of piactic.il engineers in Wellington, tlu lteu.s cm bo thoioughly relied upon.

ThesewoulJ be sufficient to supply the needs of the company in its early stages, except, peihap«, an additional steam coppei pan. It cannot be iaid that this is aiiextiavagant exjenditure with which to initiate so im| ortant ft local industry. 4. The question of suitable buildings now presents itself, and to meet Jhis we have two alternative plans. One is to lease premises to be found ready at hand in Cambridge and which are under offer at rentals ranging from 10s a week and upwards. lhe other is to negociate with the town boa id to grant a 15 or 21 years' lease of certain town allotments at a uoimwU tental, on which tho company will undertake to eiect a factory for their purposes. The latter plan, if it can be effected, would be preferable, but this is a matter that would form an after consideration when the company is fully established. 5. The, wmking and management of the company's business would bfl conducted on a puiely economical basis. It will be found far cheaper to use tins for the jatni and preserved fruits t-jn preference to jars or glasses, W though bottles would bo necessary for pickle*, sauces i.o The plant already referred to includes machineiy for niakinp tius, but the plan could be tiied of obtain ing supplies by tender and comparing the cost of the tins in that way with those made on the premises; lib tins will cost about 20s per gross. Labels, like the pattern (which ih a very fine one) will cost 30s per 1000 m Auckland, mid can be turned out in that style at the punting establishment of the Herald. We will tequire the service of a piatical man to take tho management of factoiy, also a pratical tinsmith, but the rest of the labour would consist of tluee or four girls and a boy or two, foi wo would not employ adult labour for such work as picking and soiling fruit, pasting on labels, cleaning tins and bottles kc. We would require a secretary <»i business managn, who will give his services for a small remuneration or under special arrange jnent to inclnde brokerage. I have included a horse and cart m my estimates ns a probable requirement. The price, outlay on stock account, including plant, tinniiif, materials and stationery, is iL'IO. The working expenses for the first year including sugar, insurance, printing, hoise feed, &c, is estimated nt £000. In addition to this, there will be the cost of registeung the company according to the act, which is £r>. We can, however, save legal expenses by at onco appointing a permanent solicitor to the company. We now come to the important consideiation of the probable result of the company's operations, which are expected to accrue. I have not the least doubt.thnt the district can furnish sufficient supplies, with its easting capabilities, to give a stut to the industry. I am convinced of this fiom personal observations, and I am strengthened in my conviction by the reception and promises of sup|»oit from the settlers around. Tho pi onuses of future support a.c encouraging from tho great number of fruit trees that have been planted \ this senon. One settler alone, besides expressing his intention of taking shares m the comnany, states ho will send half a ton of small fruit t > the f.ictnry. I quote thia an an example of what we will expect fiom grower*. I feel justified, therefore, in estimating that we will turn out 20 tons of jam and preserved fruit the first year and 4or "» tons of pickles, sauces fc. I have not included honey in these calculations, although that article, I hope, will form an important factor in our operations. From the best information on tho point which I have been able to gather, and which, I think, is fairly correct, I have estimated that the sale of 20 tons of jam and preserves at (id per lb would yield £1120 at » cost of £1002, leaving a credit of £118, Tho sale of four tons of pickles and sauces would yield 63KJ, at a cost of £180, leaving a credit of £13<>. This represents a grand total for the finit season's operations of receipts £143 G. Tho cost of production is £1125, to which add for railway chargen, and brokerage £100, and we » ill liavu a net aurplns of £254, to the company's credit at the end of the year. These figures aie not offered as abitrary ones, and »re open for correction, but they will give a good approximate of expected lesnlts, and I have baited my calculations on tho best and most reliable information I have keen able to procure, placing myself on the /nafo side by taking the lowest expectations for returns, and the highest for outlay, and yet I find tho prospects encouraging enough to recommend a company being formed. Thero in ono impoitant matter the company would turn its attention to, and that i» the present high tariff on the railways. Tho present Government, indeed • all Governments, profess to assist tho »levelopmont of local industries, and have I especially named the jam manufacture as dim of those industries they desire to favour. It would be the firm endeavour of t)io company to remind the (Jov eminent of tins, and urge thorn to allow a rebate of the present charges on all goods passing to and from the factory in the course of lescitnn itc trade. „.„,, . . Mr WeliM then proved, That it is desirable t> foi in a company for the purpose of manufacturing jams, sauces, pickles, confection^, picseiving fruits and tinning honey vi all their several blanches, and doing all things incidental to the making, storing and selling tho above named articles " Mr Hewitt was in favour of the proposal.

Such an industry as tin-, was very mi cl wanted, and he believed it would be attcu ded with overy success. Ho would pive it .ill the *.upp<>it >n hw ]>tiwei. He had much plciMirt' in seconding tlic it solution. Mi \V. L C. Willi uns also .ippi(>\ivl of the piujpct. It would be a \eiy good tlnng for the distuct. Mr Wells said they vvcioa'l apicrd that nothing could help the progress of a distuct like local industries. And to get local mdmtiie* they must help themselves, and unless they did this they could never expect to succeed. Such an industiy a.s this was not gomg to benefit a few; every settler and busings man in the district would de>uv«» sonn> benefit from it; paiticuUrly the finit giovvei I*,1 *, wliomj abundant ciops of e\ci > llent fi uit wi>ie vci y often w.ist'd and throw n.iway. It was only within the last few d.ijs ln> hid givon his attention to this ui.ittei, and the innro he, looked into it the nioit* he w.is encoui igod with the piospect. liirgc consignments of jam and piesorves were mipoi ted into the Auckland maiket fiom the South Island, Tasmania, and elsewhere. He was not aw aio of any jam factories working in the North Island, and \\h>, thciefoie, should they not step in and Hluie the traile? They could pioduce certainlj as good an article as the othei fictoiiu-., and they had evei} thing in their favour in ie>p'ect to distance. Luge orchards and g.ndens weie now being planted throughout the distuct, and the .-it|i|)ly of flint now was nothing to what it pioiniscd to be a few years hence. They must therefore be-tir themselves .iml secure p, market, and by Waiting a jam faitnr} they weie to his mind going the light way to business. And if they did ni>t do something m thi«« way they mu»t cv pect to have large quantities of fuut going b.id on their hands every season. Some other outlet for their fuut produce other than they now enjojed inu»t be foith coming. They h>d an aini>le market in Auckhnd and m then own district for all they would pioduce for some time to cume. Mr R. Wuglit said a friend of his had Inult a factoiv in Auckland, which was now b"ing w oiked with pi eat biiccess. He would be very much pleased to assist in forw aiding the project under di.sciissimi. Accoiding to the Customs lftuins of 1 8S3, £\SOOO wortli of jam, ke, had In en impoi ted into Auckhnd dm ing the twelve month*. The fictoiy in Auckland to w huh he had refeiied could depose of ten tunes more than it was now producing. Aichdcacon Willis also addressed the meeting. The two gi eat points they niu«t keep in view weie to go to vvoik economically and to produce the very be^t aiticle, second to none that could be impoited Mr Williairs "aid their attention should be turned to fruit preserving and such-hke more than j.un making. Theie was aium limited maiket for preserved fiuit. The e\p(iises of starting and running a jam factory weie very great. There was costly m.icliincry to buy, and sugar would bo a veiy heavy item. In reply to a question, Mr Cowper said that the average pi ice paid for fruit would be, say, 2d a pound all round. Mr Hewitt «aid that would do very well for apple, but not the smaller fruits such a.s gooseben lea, strawberries, kc. Mr Cowper remarked that 2d was the nveiape. They would not, perhaps pay th.it for apples. Mr Wplls remarked that last season Mr Mason, the well-known Auc'd.and gudcuer, had supplied an order of 800 quarts at 3d a quart, or ljlbs., and had to pay the expense of delivering them round in boxes. Mr Isiacs thought the compam would hate to have its own oichards to provide against a combination on the p.ut of the produceis. Mi lloyco said he had known fauneis to refuse 4d and .">d .'i lb. for fuut and taking it home, and giving it to the pigs rather than sell it at that puce. Mr Sharp said that was a season when plums were veiy sc.uo. Dm ing othei se.woiM they could have been bought foi Id .vlb. Mr Wolls explained why fanners pre fei led bunging then fuut homo to .sell it nt tho prices quoted bv Mr Boycc. The reason was this. They did notcire to part with foi 4d and Id whit the retail dealeis were selling at Kd and lOd. The fnctoiy must be piepaied to pay the uilinp pi ices oi eHe the growers will go eli-ewheie. Ue believed they would oven get largo consignments of fruit from Auckland as well .is Waikato Fiequently the Auckland maiket was glutted with impoited fiuit. Mr Wught pointed out that several of the southern factoues were in a gieat moa sure dependent on Tasmania for a supply of fruit. Mr Cowper instanced the success which hid attended Kirkpatrick'n jam factory at Nelson. That man had started with a very limited capital and with small premises, and now hi^mdustry was among the foremost in the colony. He would propose " That the name of the company shall be the Cambridge Jam Factory (Limited), and it-, office and place of operations shall be in the town of Cambridge." Mr Isaccs seconded. Mr Wright moved as an amendment "'That the name of the factoiv bo the Watk.ito Factory." This, he believed, would t^'iid to the gieater stiecess of the undertaking. It would popularise it throughout Waikato. Mr Russell opposed the amendment. This faetoiy, he understood, was to be a Cambridge factory, and not a Waikato factin y, and therefore it should bear the, name of Cambridge. Every pot of jam that went out cf the factory should be as it weie an advertisement for the town where it was m ule. Mr Wells was of the samo opinion. They wished it to be understood that it was to bo a Cambudgc concern. If people in othei parts of the Waikato distuct wished to as sist in the project they might do so ; and if they didn't, well then Cambndge people would cairy the thing thiough themselves. The amendment having been withdiawn, the motion was put and cairied unanimously. Mr Tretvheellar was glad to see the Cambudge peoplo take this matter up with Mich ."pint and earnestness. Whenever they had a Cambridge jam factoiy they must see that Cambndgo peoplo used the local made article. This was the way to encourage local industries. They could make as good an article there as they could make any where else; there was an ample inatket, and why not avail themselves of it? Mr Russell then proposed, ''That the cipital of the comoany shall be £'2000 in 2000 shares of ill each, of which £700 bo called up within six months-." This was one of the more pr ictical resolutions arising out of a meeting of this kind. The sum named would leave them a sufficiently huge maigiii without cramping themselves .it the start. He thought the piomoteis were right in having a fair inaigiu of capitil. No one could very well complain of the •uii'uint to bo called up. Cipt. Daley seconded the proposition. Mr Wells advocated that the factoiy should pay for the fruit as they got it. Mr Lewis made a few remaiks referring to •'rveral matters of detail. He thoroughly appioved of the project and would assist it in evoiy way in his power. He thought it would be a mistake to limit the company to calling up only 7s a share. Mr Alford moved as an amendment, " That the capital be £1000, and that there be no stipulation as to the amount to bo called up. After some discussion the motion wa« carried, Mr Alford only dis«entmg. Mr CowpLr moved, "That Is lid be made payable on application for shares, Is Gd on allotment, and that calls of Is per share bo made at intervals of two, four, and m< months, and no further calls be made until November, 188(i," Seconded byKev. W. Kvans and cirried unanimously. Mr We'ls proposed "That a committee be formed to canvass for shareholders, collect all fui ther available information and to repoit to another meeting to be hold thin day fmtni^ht at the same hour and place, the committee to consist of Messrs H. Covvper, I{. Wright, J. Forrest, T. 15. Lewis, J. Sharp, T. Hicks, K. Hewitt, D. Richardson, Captain Daley, and the mover. Seconded by Mr Evans, and carried unanimously. On the motion of the Chairman, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Covvper, for the intt rest ho had taken m the matter, and for tho full and business-like manner in which lie had brought the subject before the necting.

' U\ ny love," he murmured as he 8' ute<l .lown to his ofhee in tho morning, him! sli« «ii'l to the t-xtent of a oO dol. biivnot He says good nioining now. A. Wish |)i A( on — '' Deacon Wilder, I vvint jou totill me how you kept >our<sclf and family so well tin pa<tt season, wbi n ill the re st of us h.iv« licci M<k so much, and haw hid tlic dncior* 'linnitijr to us so often." Hrothcr 1 ly'or, th(* insvvor hwrj oa<v I used Hop Hitters m ti it- and Vi'it'iv fimil\ well, ami s.ntdlir^e dit tor's l/ill. I'nur slnllinifs' worth of it kept us .'!l well md il li- t > W'ii' ill the time, and I will v arrant nhis i ost jnu nd most of your neighli mrs /.10 to /.100 apu cc to krep su k the same I time I fanry you will take my medicine lierc«fter" Sco

ii =•■ "• Iloilcr, 3ft. dia \ 7ft high, if \erticat, or eft. or "ft ixO if horizontal (new) 00 0 0 Guillotine ihcars *J ™ ° St-t of rollers , - '10 ° Pair of bench shears, snips .md solderPrc^s^uh dies, for lib or"2lb tins ... 32 0 0 I'iimp for boiler .. - H 0 0 Sitram jackctted copper preservingp.m complete . 30 0 0 ( riit"=c are being exhibited at tnc \\ elhnjfUin Industrial Exhibition, and are \er\ good). Small tools and accessories 10 0 0 Shallow wcoden troughs, for prescr\injf fresh fruit and pickle-m.ikinir 15 0 0 Total £170 0 0