THE DAWN OF DAIRYING CO-OPERATION. 



revolving bowl or drum in which the separation took place, with ar- 

 rangements for removing the skim milk and cream without stopping 

 the machine was patented and placed on the market during the next 

 few years. Since then there has been, nothing but new ideas and 

 patents. 



In the decade of 1878-88 agricultural societies played an important 

 part in every new development. The dairy farmers did not wander 

 about the counjtry, nor had they the facilities of doing so as we have 

 to-day on the coastal districts. In cortsequence, much importance 

 was attached to the local shows, and much interest taken in the utter- 

 ances of intelligent visitors who happened to come among the people 

 on these festive yet highly instructive occasions. 



Now, it was in the latter end of the seventies that the idea of co- 

 operation began to take hold of the minds of the dairymen of New 

 South Wales. The best speakers and writers of which the coastal 

 and tableland districts possessed a good few were selected for their 

 various duties and sent among the people to form one great co- 

 operative society. Among those who took a prominent part irj the 

 movement were Messrs. John Black, D. L. Dymock, John Hanrahan, 

 Samuel Marks, William Grey. Other men of important influence 

 quickly -fell in line with t he movement, which resulted in the estab- 

 lishment of the South Coast and West Cam den Co-operative Company, 

 with Mr. John Graham as its manager, in 1881. It was then antici- 

 pated that in the course of but a few years there would not be a 

 commission agent selling butter in Sussex-street. The sequel, how- 

 ever, goes to show that the dream or vision of he who imagined such 

 a thing possible has not yet been fulfilled. 



The next important movement was that of the co-operative butter 

 factory system. This also received its first impulse at an agricultural 

 show dinner held in Kiama in the year 1880. At that dinner two 

 gentlemen were introduced by Mr. John Black, namely, Messrs. 

 Barry and Wheeler, with a view of forming a company in Kiama onj 

 the American principle of concentrating milk. 



Although most of the leading dairymen, acting under certain con- 

 trol, held aloof .from the concentrated milk business, it was estab- 

 lished at " Omega," Kiama. This was to a great extent due to the 

 personal influence of Messrs. Samuel W. Grey and John Black . Mr. 

 Barry introduced a Mr. Newham from the celebrated factory of Mal- 

 low, Ireland. But from the first there seems to have been grave 

 difficulties that never were overcome. It is stated that 20,000 was 

 squandered without much result. Some say the machinery was 

 faulty. But our present experience teaches us that in the absentee 

 of refrigerating machinery it was impossible to carry on a work that 

 is so largely controlled by cleanliness, heat, and cold. 



The late Mr. T. S. Mort, who was the founder of refrigeration 

 in New South Wales, established the Fresh Food 'and Ice Company 

 in Sydney, delivered an address at Lithgow, New South Wales, in 

 1875. To quote -from a report of his speech : " He said he had long 

 been anxious to see introduced into the city of Sydney fresh, pure 

 milk at a cheap price. That he thought it was a matter of intense 

 importance, and he should feel very proud if he could succeed in 

 carrying out the scheme he had in view. ... It was very desir- 

 able for the welfare of the rising population that it should be sup- 

 plied with good wholesome milk. They might rely upon it that not 

 only the physical but the moral element also was concerned in it, 

 and he hoped that those who had the power to join hands in helping 

 him would not fail to do so, in order that he might carry out his 

 plans. 



" There was another point that he must not leave unnoticed ; that 

 was in regard to the export of provisions. He maintained that this 



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