THE CASEIN INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1482, 3 July 1912, Page 10

THE CASEIN INDUSTRY.

- SLUMP IN PRICES. The ■ founder of- a. casein factory at Wurrnambcol, Victoria, Mr.S. It. Cottee states, according to tho Sydney "Daily -elegrnph, tlint the factory is at present closed down owing to a fall in tho price of casein making it impossble to carry out contracts which had been entered into. Before the slump in values wis paying farmers Jd. per w 7 i . 1111 ni'.lk..lint he cannot now attord to give more than Id. A proposal to that ol.ect had been submitted to tlio farmers, who have three months in wnich to come to a decision. Mr. Cottee was net however, sanguine as to the result of the vote. But if the formers consented to the reduction the factory will be reopened. Most of the milk goes to Jeed pigs, and therein lay the chief difficulty ot getting supplies at the reduced .£ s P l " 3 TO ' e .increasing in value. Writing of casein Mr. Cottee said that, prior to tho fnll in the price of the article, he had shipped 10 tons to France, tor which he expected to receive per ton. ■ ITe had thought it impossible to overstock the "market; and had never for a moment entertained tho idea that tho value would como down. In April ho was advised that the price had dropped, owing to 11,000 tons of casein (8000 from Denmark and 3000 from the Argentine) being put on tho London market. He hail received many applications for casein in Australia, after the shipment to France, and had supplied several Sydney merchants at very satisfactory priced But, notwithstanding, there was not rreat demajul for the product within the tommoniiTalth, certainly not. more than 60 or 70 tons per annum. Tho orders supplied to Sydney cnmc chiefly from'' the painting trade. The Australian article was much superior to the imported, and in this connection Mr. Cottee evidenced the testimony of Sydney buyers, all of whom expressed themselves in favour of tho "ttflrrnambool produce. Over ,£7OOO had been put info tho works, but a= things in this connection with tho manufacture were at present in a somewhat unsettled condition, Mr. Cottee says he does not know what the result will be, but he intends to carry on again for a time. Tho fall in price was not the only factor in leading to tho temporary closing down of the works. The drought also had it; effect, as instanced by tho fact that in January Mr. Cottee received more milk from one supplier than lie did from five' in April.