FIRST CENTURY OF DAIRYING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



production of good butter to those who could purchase the necessary- 

 machinery and appliances. Whilst the farmers were devoting much 

 attention to the breeding of cattle and the methods of production, 

 they almost lost sight of the ever-growing surplus that was being 

 produced in the country. It is therefore not surprising to find that 

 meetings were held in various parts of the country to consider and 

 if possible grapple with the question of surplus as it then presented 

 itself to'the dairymen of the colony. 



Co-operation had not been working out the profits the farmers had 

 reason tp anticipate. The dairymen were feeling the pinch of the 

 times owing to many tons of the staple product, butter, remaining 

 unsold at the end of each month. What to do with this butter ? The 

 people 'of Sydney were increasing in numbers, and desired to be sup- 

 plied with fresh country milk. It was an important epoch in our 

 history. 



The Sputh Coast and West Camden Co-operative Company had 

 installed; a refrigerating plant on what was then known as the Bell- 

 Coleman principle. The object of this movement was an intelligent 

 one, viz;', the storage of the farmers' butter with a view of placing it 

 before the grocers of Sydney on sale morning in the best presentable 

 form possible. This plant, however, was no sooner installed than the 

 management rushed into the -frozen meat trade an industry apart 

 altogether from dairying, and for which the machinery and plant was 

 in no way suitable. True, the company turned their premises into a 

 storeroom for agents and butter speculators. The management also 

 went into the milk trade, and, after losing a lot of money in initiatory 

 work, sold out to the F.F. and I. Company just at a time when the 

 concern was commencing to pay. Yet another gigantic bungle was 

 the installation of an enormous refrigerating plant on the same prin- 

 ciple as the former one, just at the time when this system of re- 

 frigeration had become obsolete all over the world. This plant was 

 never used, and it remained within the walls of the building for many 

 years, and was eventually sold as old iron, the cost of its conversion 

 into an ammonia compressor being too expensive and too unwieldy an 

 undertaking -for the company. 



Without further reference to what was done by the management of 

 the old South Coast and West Camden Co-operative Company, it may 

 be as well to state what ought to have been done, and which was 

 unfortunately left undone. It is ? therefore, the time for the examina- 

 tion of the proposed methods set out at the inception of the co-opera 

 tive movement on both the coastal and tableland districts of New 

 South Wales, to accomplish the end desired by the people, many of 

 whom had recognised that the policy of the middlemen and agents 

 was to divide the producers that they might control the situation. 

 There is and must ever be an identity of interest between the pro- 

 ducers of every district. But \ an identity of interest will also be 

 found to exist among the agents? yet in a different direction, and quite' 

 antagonistic to that of the producer. They may declare themselves 

 as belonging to the people, sacrificing their all for them ; but that, as 

 now, was a sceptical age, whih. would accept nothing but as it 

 "panned out" on examination. Co-operation had done much, and w:is 

 capable of doing much more than had been so far accomplished, so 

 far as the production, sale, and export weiv cnm-crm-il, i-{ it had 

 been properly .directed during the years under review. 



Briefly, it did nothing towards the establishment of a large central 

 market, though the advantage of such, conducted on proper lines, was 

 never disputed, both on the ground of cheapness and to afford an 

 opportunity of comparison. All sellers and buyers could have met in 

 lich, with" great advantage to all concerned. It wa^ ;il M , intended 

 that 'on the floor of this market all produce would be graded and sold 



196. 



