WORK DONE OR PROJECTED 179 



on the London market with the risk of keeping down 

 prices there because of the lack of means of dealing 

 efficiently, economically and profitably with superabundant 

 supplies on the spot. 



The total cost of building, plant, machinery and formation 

 expenses has been over 10,000. In regard to sale and 

 distribution the society deals direct with retailers. A large 

 proportion of the milk it sends to the Metropolis goes to an 

 organisation known as the London Retail Dairymen's 

 Mutual, Ltd., which is no less desirous of dispensing with the 

 wholesalers. At first there was an idea that the society 

 should itself start a retail trade in London ; but further 

 consideration and inquiry led to the conclusion that it 

 would be more expedient if the society contented itself 

 with supplying the retailers, and sought to dispense with 

 the wholesalers only. 



That the large milk contractors should have shown the 

 most vigorous opposition to the new society was only to be 

 expected, but the society has done so well that its turnover 

 for the first half of 1912 was about 66,000. 



The Cheshire Milk Producers' Dep6ts, Ltd., is a co-opera- 

 tive society formed by the milk producers of Cheshire, 

 Shropshire, Derbyshire, and Denbighshire to deal with the 

 milk supply of these counties with greater advantage to the 

 producer. It had the cordial support of the landowners of 

 the district, who took up shares and loan stock, and the 

 Co-operative Wholesale Society, together with the Industrial 

 Co-operative Societies, rendered much assistance by the 

 orders they gave ; but a formidable opposition was raised 

 by certain interests in Manchester and Liverpool, whose 

 association passed a resolution boycotting the society. 

 The difficulty thus created was met by the society setting 

 up numerous depots at which milk not sent to the towns 

 could be converted into cheese. At the Balderton depot 

 an average of 3,000 gallons of milk was being dealt with 

 daily at the end of April, 1912. The maximum received 

 there in one day had been 4,500 gallons. 



The Cornwall County Farm and Dairy Co-operative 



N 2 



