BIG DAIRY COMPANY

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20276, 19 August 1937, Page 10

BIG DAIRY COMPANY

COMMITTEEMEN CONFER. ; REPRESENTATION ON BOARD, BASIS OF VOTING. "This has been a record season as far as production is concerned, and altogether it has been a very interesting year for the dairyfarmer,” commented the chairman of directors of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Mr R. H. McKenzie, in welcoming delegates to the annual conference of tiie company's committee conveners in Hamilton yesterday. Many and bewildering changes had taken place during the year, and the dairyfarmer to-day was faced with new problems, stated Mr McKenzie. Concern at the position in which shareholders were placed in regard to representation on the board of directors in the southern portion of the south-eastern ward was expressed by Mr A. R. Vosper In moving a remit drawing the directors’ attention to the advisability of having a director in the territory to be served by the large and up-to-date factory at present being erected at Tirau in order to conserve ihe interests of both company and shareholder. Mr McKenzie stated that the remit had not been passed by last year's conference. Suppliers already had a director at the southern portion of the ward, and suppliers had to remember that no director represented any given district or product but represented the* Industry as a whole. "The present directors have a serious responsibility in the conduct of the company, as any mistake would have an adverse effect on the Industry as a whole,” commented Mr C. J. Parlane, general manager of the company, who said it was preferable to leave the wards as they were rather than subdivide them. The remit had been passed at the previous conference as a recommendation to the directors, said Mr Vosper. The remit was lost. Method of Voting. A suggestion to the directors that all voting he put on a straight-out but ter fat basis was made hy Mr Vosper in a further remit. Speaking to the remit, the chairman said that the basis of voting had been the subject of a referendum in February, 1924. Optional methods of voting were listed on the referendum, and the system suggested In the present remit had received the least support, only five voting in its favour, compared with 292 who voted in favour of tiie retention of the system then in use. Tiie remit was lost. The conference decided to recommend the directors to make it a definite ruling in all cases that a sitting director should not take any active part in fhe election campaign of any candidate, unless the director was actually contesting I lie scat himself. A remit urging the company to Investigate Hie cost of cement, and if necessary to take tlie matter up with the Government, was carried unanimously, without discussionA remit from a combined meeting of suppliers from Arkles Bay, Silverdale and Dairy Flat, urging that the c ause giving ihe .directors power to divert supply t 0 any branch factory he amended so as to ensure that the suppliers concerned were fully consulted, was approved by the confer-