THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



795 



storage, it was found that they could run a 

 fish and also a fruit shop. Then, to complete the 

 scheme, thej- thought of adding another storey 

 to let as bachelors' chambers. Aftenwards the 

 directors thought of abandoning the idea of the 

 refreshment rooms, but to let that portion of 

 the concern to another man. The bedrooms 

 upstairs would feed that. If the Creamery did 

 not go to Maritzburg, then they must under- 

 stand others would. 



•Mr. Alexander: How could the bedrooms 

 feed the shop ? It seems to me the refreshment 

 rooms would feed them. 



Mr. Eichards: No ; I think they would feed 

 the lodgers. 



Mr. Hyslop: Do the directors think we are 

 competent to carry on this business ? 



The Chairman re'torted that if the farmers 

 of the country had not sufficient confidence in 

 their directors and themselves to do the busi- 

 ness, other men would. (Hear, hear.) The 

 same thing was done all the world over, and it 

 ought to be done in Natal. 



Mr. Hyslop remarked that it was not the 

 fish or fruit shop, or even the bone dust, that 

 he took exception to; but when the directors 

 started boiadinghouse-keeping, he thought they 

 were going a little too far. 



Mr. Greene pointed out that the whole thing 

 was as yet only a suggestion. 



Mr. Blaker was of the opinion that the com- 

 pany could not stand still. If they stood still, 

 they went back. (Laughter.) He thought they 

 ought to go to the big towns. They had the 

 grazing, and it simply wanted the farmers to 

 put their shoulders to the wheel, and pull out 

 the cash. (Laughter.) If they did not begin, 

 others would. 



Mr, Johnson asked if the directors knew defi- 

 nitely "whether Mr. 'Baynes intended to put up 

 a building such as had been described in Ma- 

 ritzburg. 



A Shareholder : What about it if he does 1 

 Some questions as to the Durban business 

 cropped up, and the Chairman said they 

 opened in the winter when things were dear, 

 and they had other disadvantages, yet they 

 managed. 



Mr. H. R. Shaw aaked^ in connection with 

 the Maritzbui-g scheme, how it was proposed 

 to distribute the milk. 



The Chairman replied that he presumed tlie 

 company would own horses and carts to dis- 

 tribute the milk at people's homes, and some 

 people wafild go to the dairy and fetch it. 



Mr„ H. E. Shaw wanted to know if a number 

 of agencies would not do better. He thought 

 it would be a tremendous strain on the direc- 

 torate if the company had to own horses and 

 cartsj etc. 



Mj'. Eichards remarked that it had been the 

 experience so far that the more agencies they 

 had the jnore the expense. 



Mr. Alexander said they had not told the 

 probable cost of this building. 



The Chairman rejdied that it might cost 

 anything between £3,000 up to £150,000. It 



vi'as impossible to say . until some definite 

 jcheme had been decided upon. The directors 

 had no wish to hide anything from the share- 

 holders. 



In reply to Mr. Russell, the Chairman said 

 there was a smail profit from the Durban 

 business, and the partnershi]) was dissolved 

 by mutual arrangement. The directorate 

 thought it to the company's advantage to do 

 so. 



Mr. Alexander said he must, in fairness to 

 the Model Dairy Company, say that the reason 

 the partnership was dissolved was that the 

 Creamery's plant was insuflTicient to do the 

 busiiiess. The milk arrived in Durban in bad 

 condition. Mr. Baynes had wished that the 

 Model Dairy could work together with the 

 Creamery. 



Mr. Creene said it wns not quite as Mr. 

 Alexander stated. In the Durban concern 

 there really was four businesses, making it 

 unviorkable, but in Maritzburg there would 

 be only one. 



Mr. Eichards said Mr. Alexander had sug- 

 gested that the Creamery injiued the Model 

 Dairy Company's business. He had letters from 

 people on the Berea, after the partnership 

 had been dissolved, begging the Creamery to 

 start in Durban on their own account, as they 

 could not get decent milk. 



Mr. Alexander thought those letters should 

 be placed before the meeting. 



A Voice : You ought to withdraw your re- 

 mark. 



The report and balance sheet were then ap- 

 proved of. 



Nf xt came the election of officials, and, after 

 a ballot, the following gentlemen were elected 

 to the Board : — Messrs. Hyslop, Moor, Greene, 

 Eussell, and Blaker. Messrs. Richards and 

 Lauyence, two retiring directors, did not seek 

 re-election. 



On the proposition of Mr. Richards, Messrs. 

 Duff and Eadie were appointed auditors. It 

 was decided to grant £15 as remuneration to 

 Mr. W. J. O'Brien for acting as auditor last 

 year. 



Under' the heading of general business, the 

 discussion once more turned on the Maritz- 

 burg scheme. The Chairman took the meetv.ig 

 a little more into his confidence, and said if 

 they really would like to see them he could 

 show them rough plans of the kind of building 

 they proposed to erect. The plans showed a 

 two-storeyed building, with a fine frontage on 

 to Longmarket-street, where would be two 

 shops, and another frontage on to the new 

 road, where would be two other shops. 



Mr. Richards urged upon the meeting that 

 the time to carry out the scheme was now. 

 l")on't let them say they were too poor. They 

 could all afford it, and if that company did not 

 do it somebody else would. 



Dealing with the same scheme later on in' 

 the meeting, the Chairman said it would be 

 a pity if by any catch vote a meeting of 

 shareholders were to destroy the whole 



