DAIRY PRODUCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 832, 2 June 1910, Page 8

DAIRY PRODUCE.

A SELLING SCHEME, DISCUSSED BY SOUTH ISLAND ASSOCIATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Dunedin, Juno 1. The annual meeting of the. .South Island Dairy Aviation was hold In-day. Mr. Hurilley (TiniariiJ, chairman of directors, presided, and there «"a» a large attendance of delegates. The chairman, in iiinviim Hip adoption of the report and lmhincr-.<heet, referral to the able .-wvices i>l Air. Scott as .secretary, and reviewed the operations of llio year. The report and lialance-sbeel- w;ro adopted. A scheme for selling dairy produce through the association was brought forward. Mr. Arnotl (Seaward Down.-) mi id this was really tho mo:-t important business of Hie meeting. He would move:—"That a .selling .scheme its suggested by tho com-mitl-fft be adopted with Mich alterations as the peeling may. deem fit." .Mr; Schmidt seconded the motion. Sir. Bacon moved as an amendment:— "That the selling scheme as suggested by the copirnittee be not adopted." One of the principal poiuts to which he took exception was that of fixing a reserve price. In what way the reserve price was to bo fixed, ho said, had not been stated by those who formulated the scheme. The secretaries of factories must fix it. Mr. Bacon said if they left it to factories they would have many different opinions, and if factory directors weie to fix tlip reserve price, how could they preserve that secrecy which was so necessary? Also, if cheese was sold in the Dominion and a reserve prico was put on so much would be sold and so much would, lie above reserve. That which was not sold would have to go Home on consignment, coming into competition ivith that which was sent from the Dominion, thus tending to lower prices, especially if the market was falling. The chairman said he, could not accept the amendment as it ivas a direct negative to the motion. Mr. Waytomoved as an amnedment:— "That as an alternative scheme, selling of cheese.,by auction, take place iu some central depot in London." He said the sale of produce by auction in Now Zealand would not bring the manufacturer any nearer the consumer than at present. If they sold in London they would be brought into touch with all big sellers in provincial tov;ns .in the Old Country. Mr. Horrell seconded the amendment. It seemed to him the time was not ripe to sell their cheese in the Dominion. In the Old Country they would find as strong competition as there was in the. Dominion. . The chairman said buyers had been invited to (,'ivo their opinion on the subject and amongst them was Mr. Iteynolds, who had offered to address a meeting and give the result of his experiences as a visitor and business man in London some time ago without any reference to his position as buyer of dairy produce. Mr. W. E. Reynolds said the meeting had to consider not so much a matter of policy as .a matter of system. What was proposed was a system of selling monthly by auction instead of as at present having 17 or 18 buyers going to the factory door. He suggested Dunedin as a centre between Lyttelton and Invercargill where business should bo conducted. As the export of dairy produce became greater they should tap ail ports of Great Britain ,nnd so get it into more channels than it had found in the past. That could be done better through the association than by consignment direct. Why miss Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, and Bristol? Round Manchester alone there ivc.ro 2,000,000 people, and in Glasgow there, was a very big population. Why should not monthly . shipments .go to these places? Cheese"should go to;the public who distributed it at Homo giving thorn as much as they could comfortably handle, and let them charge fair commission. Ho knew one firm in ■ Glasgow that had obtained tho output of one New Zealand factory for the Inst 10 or 12 years. Hβ would like to see a trial given to the proposed system. It could be done by a dozen or two dozen of factories in the South-Island agreeing to it, and in offering their cheese they were not bound to sell it. They could put a fair price on it, aud if that price was not realised the cheese could bo consigned.

Mr. Winning said he would prefer the whole output to be consigned to a number of responsible firms who could place it in proper channels in England. Mr. Bacon said he thought the whole output should ba put into tho hands of the association if it could get (lie price, cud if not then consign it. Tlie chairman:-', That is what we are trying to get. ". Mr. Bacon: But■Wβ."don't want monthly looml sales. ■'■■;■/'.'

The chairman siiid the scheme was only a preliminary one, and was open to alteration.

Mr. Bacon intimated that he had another aniomlmont to propose; "That all factories place their outputs in the hands of tho association for disposal either by direct sale in lino, or, if that is not possible, to s?ntl it on consignment." Mr. Bolt sail) that if they attempted to forco every factory into a system they would fail, because it was a big question. It was asking all factories to givo the control of their produce into the huntls of tli* association, and it seemed to him factories in Otngo were not readyto do that.

After a little more discussion the niotioii and amendment were withdrawn, and on the motion of Mr. Fisher, seconded by Sir. M'Gibbon, the first clause' «-us put in this form: "Your committee after due consideration of this matter resolved upon a scheme for the disposal of ciniry produce, and if sufficient signatures are received it will be put into operation on or about October 20 of this year." The motion was carried by a substantial majority.

The remaining clauses were then amended seriatim and adopted. Clause i was altered to read: "Each factory, to have the right to fix its reservo price up to one hour before the advertised time of auction, or, if for sale by private treaty or consignment, the reserve may bo fixed at any time prior to such sale." In clause 11, the commission is not to exceed .1 per cent. Under clause 15, sales at first are to

take place mainly in Dunedin or luverClause JO now reads: "'Committee and socroliiiT shall advise fuclories as to a reasonable limit." Clause ail «as amended as follows:"Agents appointed in London will send Ci-.blcs from time to lime to the association as to prices and prospects, and these will be repeated as confidential telegrams to factories whose subscriptions are raid." The scheme as amended was then adopted, and will be put into force in flic coming season.

The Baker-was "crusty"; his words were He was not in the mood for a jest; He felt like an oaf and wanted to "loaf," For he had a bad cold on the chest. What! "ales" thee, friend, you've been in the "draught," Remarked his old neighbour, tho brewer; 'Tis the wind from the "yeast," don't worry the least; Take Woods' (.treat Peppermint Cure. —Advt. a The death occurred at Ascot of Sir Walter Palmer, Bart., after a long and painful illness. Sir Walter Palmer was tho director of the biscuit firm of Huntley and Palmer, ancLfrom 1900 to 100G represented Salisbury-as a Conservative. Although he had been sinking for some days the end came suddenly. Ho was a keen business man, extremely wealthy, and a clever scientist.