CREAM CARTAGE COSTS

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20263, 4 August 1937, Page 2

CREAM CARTAGE COSTS

TE AWAMUTU COMPANY. REASONS FOR HIQH LEVEL. fSpeoial Reporter). » TE AWAMUTU, Tuesday. 44 The cost involved in cream cartage is, I think, the only weak spot in the company’s balance-sheet,” said Mr A. J. Sinclair, secretary-manager of the Te Awamutu . Co-operative Dairy Company, when dealing with the accounts of the company at the annual meeting in Te Awamutu today. The relatively high cost of cream cartage—o.46d per lb. of butterfat was due, however, in large measure to the extensive ax-ea served by the company. Certain other companies in the Waikato were able to show a much lower cartage cost because they served a smaller and more densely farmed area, and in some cases the cartage cost was as low as 0.19 d per lb. 44 We do feel, however,” said Mr Sinclair, ‘‘that here in Te Awamutu we have a duty to the backblock settler. We cannot tell him to keep his cream, for I believe that such companies as ours must do a certain amount of pioneering work among the settlers, who will become important suppliers in ; the future.” | At present, however, the company’s ' collection lorries had to be sent as far as 25 miles away and an increase in costs was therefore to a certain extent inevitable. Insofar, however, as the present cost was capable of reduction, such reduction would be made. The board was giving this question its closest attention and he felt sure that later a comparison between this and the ensuing year’s costs would be an encouraging one. Ballot for Directors. As a result of a postal ballot .Messrs. G. E. Churches, J. Duncan 'and B. C. O’Connor were elected to the board of directors, the defeated candidates being Messrs. W. G. Adams and S. N. Verity. The three vacancies arose from the retirement by rotation of Messrs. Churches and Duncan, and from the retirement of Mr W. F. Woodward, who has given up dairying.