CO-OPERATIVE BUTTER MARKETING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 904, 25 August 1910, Page 10

CO-OPERATIVE BUTTER MARKETING.

,/■■""' : ; , NEW -SCHEME ,COMING. , : ■'■'■;■!. Our Dargaville correspondent sends ■ ' an.interesting, account of an interview V .V .he has had with: a well-known "mc-r- ---;': 'chant .on the vexed question o£ co- : operatilve butter marketing. , Tho : 'matter is one :that has been, receiving '.- ■■ very serious consideration from the '' - National, Dairy Association of -Now- . "Zealand; and it is likely,that a scheme ,'".' .substantially similar to that outlined : ■ will-be in operation very shortly. The • association; at any rate,,is confident '■■■■ : it-will." ■,■■■- : " : ' - '-~ The • difference ; between tho price of ■ ; New Zealand and the; price of Danish '■■ butter has caused tho: agitation. Last '.':'.■ season .'opened With. New Zealand but- ."'■.;. ter, 1 . a few shillings', in the rear, and -.-.." as the'season, advanced the breach wid- ;;' ..ened :to 10s. and 125.,. but the quality had not'deteriorated. The 'matter; was . . ■ referred to. 'in tho .annual report of the/National. Dairy Association. The '■/-. communication telegraphed, from Dar- ■■'... gaville'., reads: . :.;"■'■ . .. ;.'.' i .Among the most noteworthy visitors ■'.) ; , " to, the Auckland Winter Show was Mr. ■■;.■.; 'Arthur Mills, senior .'partner of a lead- :■'■ ing : dairy produce farm in • England. V: / Realising the important position that 7 New Zealand produce now holds in • ■ London, Mr. Mills is paying a visit to ':., the; various i parts of the Dominion with ..'. ..a: view, <*>_ ascertaining tho : s_tate of ■;■ the; business amongst. co-operative fac■v ■■. tones,, and. also to endeavour to ex:j, -tend the benefits of co-operative . pro- •;■' duction .to.,replace tho methods in •■■;.'... "which-produce is now disposed of to '..■consumers ;in Britain. Mr. Mills, has ',',' ■; handled ; the Northern Wairoa Dairy : ,... Company's butter, , ,and found ; it thor- ... appreciated iby English con- ,■..,' Burners, and: he took advantage of I ' t . ■ members' v ofthe directorate, of the ! /company, being in Auckland to explain ■ : ". .the.weaknesses'.of the present.,system '•"■.'. of .'disposal' in England.; !: r '^-. v ''':.Tfie'.Monetary'''Cap. i .;.-■ ,•, ; ■ ■'.'■•■' ; ; ..; The'quality of the best New Zealand ■'■■•; 'bujjter is, said Mr. Mills', admitted, to ..'■■■'. be .equal, to anything ;tho worid.pro- .; '/daces. -Yet, although this fine: article ; ..:■' has ; been on the. London.'.market.' for ■ ; : ;Bomo -years, and .;the"' prices realised ■;,• '[■■', have.' Advanced -'with'-..the advance of •S ■'■ .imports generally, its:position, as com- ■ ■;'.': '■' jmred with.Danish'(our. only true com-: V . •petitor):has. not improved, and/ it. appears likely: to retrograde' unless adp- :'.' ■/';:.qnate : measures are .taken to maintain '■■'■•,. '.'tho.'stan'dird which the.quality of the '■.-■• butter entitles'i'.it .'to. hold.; Some years ':'■'.'''-.ago, Mr.; Mills"; explained,'.New-.Zealand .■: ; butter averaged throughout tho season -.: .;•■ 3s. ■lOdj'.per' cwt..of' the- avef- .. : age ; prjee of the choicest: Danish. •. The . -\ : butter, sent from New Zealand Jast ';,V /season was of , better quality than flver ....' 'before, and the:demand was fully, equal :.'.;'. to-the "supply;, yet the;- averagevprico, , . VWai over 10s. per.cwt. lower than :'■'•■;•'■ fish.';■ Thorough; inquiry into the co'ndi- ■'•;. ■ ■ jiions under which our produce is mar■•;v.i ketgd hasishb'wn.the necessity.'of somo: ''.'■'■'■: recognised control of the price at which. ■>.-. <";; New-Zealand. butter- shall be .sold. ■ Un- : v . ; dor.Vtho present •conditions,, .companies .'■.- v. in -?Kew Zealand are/; tempted to sell ;:;':', .all/: consigned through ;a-large number .'■■::' r ;'.'of:'firms, i.ih^irj.decision'-.'■ being 1 , .''often ,:. /guided 'by'a..fractional advance on the •■\\-... price offered• or : a small.'.concession' , in './.■..,the-.- .cost.;'of handling',-;:siich'.' as freight '.'■';■; ■■ or.-'exchangeE.ifLack' of community of' :';, v interest amongst" firms,' handling- ';uairy.; .: ; '. ; produce; in .London''leaves th'ein 'largely' '•.V ,^': ..-a/;prey-;'fo'.''the-;sehemeSj,for.'-'"bearing,"> y' ? : and' thus^"iit:;h'a'sf■resulted'.that,(:Whilej ' -X : -. producing 'companies, have been eagerly ■..'■; .:-...' securing:, an; :i adyance : of farthings • on. i';': ; : s 'the,," output' :i fr6m,."their 'indn-idual' fac- ,'.. ;,.t6ry,'." pennies are :being : lost- on.' the ;: ;-. : .total. export >frqm -New '. Zealand; through; ,i:/'' .'. lack of :a. co-operative system .'of selaiii;' :'_ cur ..produce in , London:. ,AVe can so ;yV control 7 :prices -that;.it: will' not be pps- •. v sible:-fdr':thei unjustifiable fluctuations v.y to; be .forced ,upon the marfcet'twhicb ,; : ;;;.';iioTVpccur,-in -addition to';which..,the. -:-:, average': price.of New .Zealand butter: ; '■• can" be'-maintained : at within two ■or •- ': ;thre_e 'sEiHings , ; per, .cw.fc'.''of ; the besi ■,-;■•'•;. Danish.:--:-?"-'-:','-.--;'''..-''- v^'; ; : '"•■■ '.-' '■':/:■ Bargaining For gutter.' ':'. - j : !}■ ■.;.. .In:order to illustrate his. point,, lit; ■'•;'-''y Mills-, said (that as , , there-was.no recogi'.;., nised : .standard price s for a- week such .';.. as ; :is; fixed' by. assorted..butter;, mer- ■ : -vchahts !in Auckland, it is easy : for- a v-.'jbuyer. to.'go from agent to agent, i,vA :-,.'. by .playing off one against the other'tq : ■ take advantage:of , 'the competition .be-' '■:'.'. .jtween sellers to "hear'the market." . ,-;.. . '..Some four years , ago,, under the aus;;pices'ofthe National , Dairy 1 Association : ■'■■.■■ Jof -New .Zealand, *'a .number ■ of.: dairy ;'-.■"■■■■ companies -in the southern parts ~- of; the :- ;. 'North ■' Island " joined , ;.'in ; sending ; an , . : :expert, to -London, to '-inquire into the '■'. ; under- which" ;butterwa-s mar- ... . ,keted'and sent their, butter,in such a , •:■■: 'manner that.it was-marketed-in : arform i. "•, of. co-operation' under '■ his '(the. expert's) : •■•::'; .TheVresu'lt of 'this extension . (:; of .the co-operative principle has. been ;' '■'.■■: ..distinctly.successful, >and observations ; . ; y of Mr.Ellison (the present expert) have .:.'..: resulted.in a report in .accord with the '■'■;■.' . expressions of Mr. Mills. The bpera- ■':•.;;■ tions':of tho co-operative system so far :; . have,,been on a , scale too small, to ;•;-'."'■■■; enable the National. Dairy. Association :' to the stindard of New 'Zealand ,: . butter, '.as compared with' .Danish, to ■■,-'■. thelleyel which its quality entitles'it -. ■: to'.'-maintain.' . It is found that it will Jv.be, necessary for a large proportion of ■.'■•.'•.• the,'exporting companies to co-operate .:.; in placing their butter on,the London ',■'.■■.-■■ market under & uniform system through ' . ,; certain recognised firms, who '. will, in ■ : '.sene 'form, be'associated in this ex- :,"..-; i .tension -of co-operation to the business • : . ;; ,.,: of marketing' that ,which is Deduced '~; under .co-operative principles. ■•' ■■■}[ "■ The-qompanles'Moving.: : '; i -. iltt:N,ew Zealand,. , meetings were held ~' .-.■ duririg -the■ Auckland Winter,-Show at :'. - which /.representatives, from iactojy :■! •■":■.'idirec'toratesj- from, the National ,Dairy . ./Association, from the exporting agents,- ; and'-from the agents: who'handle'-our produce.-' in London, conferred ' and arranged preliminaries of a system which should be the means of placing New ';•■■.' Zealand butler in its proper, position and result in an increase in value of immtnse moment to tbp Dominion. Should this.system be efficiently carried . : out, it is beyond question that New Zea- . . land butter will advance on the London .;■ market in the very first season to the extent of two ot *-hree ihilliiifes .- per cwt. above the price which can be . .;■■ expected under tho present haphazard method, and it should within h short ■;■: ,- time be placed on such a sound aiid ', -permanent footing that.it will rarely :.'■■-. be found to fall more than two or three •- i: ■• shillings below the price which the best .: .Danish can command. An - analagous ; ; system to_ the one proposed was adopted ':' in Victoria by an amalgamation of com- :■ panics ' there, and proved of immense ■■ v assistance to those concerned,in it, and ■'. of great.profit, to the butter industry. ■■■.'■ Northern M'airoa directors who attended the meetings are most favour- . .ahly impressed with the proposals laid .before them, and the matter will bo fully.considered at next meeting of . directors. . . • ' . . This Board of Agriculture (London) has been askod to appoint a Departmental . Committee to inquire into the origin, nature, and administration of anthrax in cattle, • which is nolj only increasii.)g in . .. virulence, but is dangerous to human beiftw as \ well as; cattle, -. .■•'