INCREASED TONNAGE.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20268, 10 August 1937, Page 2

INCREASED TONNAGE.

RAGLAN DAIRY COMPANY. COMPENSATED PRICE SUPPORTED “ As Indicated in me report, your company has experienced, an exceptional good season, and the result has been that although some of our largest suppliers have turned over to sheep, we have been able to show an iucreaso in our tonnage from 569$ to 578 tons,” stated Mr. J. Donn, chairman of directors of the Raglan Go-op-erative Dairy Company, In presenting the report and accounts at the annual meeting of the company to-day. " uf the cream received,” he continued, "77.5 per cent, has been graded finest, and only .26 second, in considering this we ask you to remember that a considerable amount of our cream is, owing to the scattered, nature of the supply, only collected every other day and some three times a week. It is estimated that suppliers with a daily cream service have . received 90 per cent finest. Costs Increased. “During the depression Raglan dairy farmers increased their supply and worked longer hours to do so. Your directors, in common with other | companies, spent a large amount in ! machinery and improvements in an at- ' tempt to improve quality and, reduce costs. Quality has certainly Improved, j but we find to-day that costs have Increased and are likely further to increase, and now that we should be ! reaping the benefits of increased effi- ' oiency, we find it Is going elsewhere, j Costs from farm gate to f.n.b. have In- j creased from 1.7284 dto 2.fi286d. i Owing to the scattered nature of sup- I ply and over-lapping our cream cart- ! ing costs are .46c1. If the company i handled the whole of the cream within , a reasonable distance of the factory we claim that this figure could he con- j sfderablv reduced with the result that our total costs would compare still more favourably with those of larger, companies.” Return on Produce. “ The guaranteed price,” continued Mr. Donn, “has enabled us to estimate the value of unsold, stocks more accurately, but we consider that with an open market we should have realised as much if not more. "We have been requested to contribute to the campaign for the compensated price. This has been left to suppliers to decide. We oonslder It Is very essential that dairy farmers should place before the Government, their ' aissatisi action witn tne unrair treatment they have received, but we are of the opinion that It Is not sound policy to pay more for an artlole than Its market value, and the only way out is to reduoe costs.” A resolution, however, supporting the compensated price campaign to the extent of 6d per ton of butterfat was passed. Awards Announoed. It was announced at the meeting that the W. J. Petohell Trophy, for the largest production per cow, had been won by Messrs. Brown Bros., Te Mata. The highest percentage increase over the previous season was achieved by Mr. A. Ilanlyn, with 65 per cent, increase, the second and third places being filled, by Messrs. M. E. Phillips and J. M. Lumsden, with 55 per cent, and 49 per cent. Increases respectively. It was decided that the company should request the Executive Commission of Agriculture to make an exclu- l slvo zone of the company’s area, and 1 It was also resolved, on the motion of : Mr. p. Chlhnall, that the directors be 1 asked to ascertain the number of cows 1 in the district able to be tested under herd-testing conditions. f