THE TRUTH OF BUTTER

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 10, 7 October 1920, Page 6

THE TRUTH OF BUTTER

o MR. STRAND LANDED COLLAPSE OF THE POPULAR IDOL FEET OF QUICKSAND • (Article-No. VI.) (Published by Arrangement.) When the people of New Zealand were faced with the prospects of paying—as Australians, Canadians, and others are paying—tho export value of butter required for the- local market, Mr. W. T. Strand, a dairy farmer of the Hutt Valley, sent for himself and- appointed iimself tho champion of tho consumers against tho producers of butter. This was a coruforWrio role for Mr. Strand to take, because ho had no need to worry about tho price paid for butter-fat at, New Zealand factories. Aftor ho had assumed the part of counsel for the public against tho butter-pro-ducers. Mr, Strand' 6 own profitable position as a milk-producer was exposed. It was ascertained that ho was supplying milk, under contract, to tho Wellington Public Hospital at Is. Bd. per gallon (lesa 5 per cent.) the whole year round. This means » gross return of Is, Bd. a gallon to Mr. Strand (An average of ltd. per gallon more—as he admits him-self—-than suppliers to the WellingtonCity Council Veceive on the annual basis), At Is. Bd. a gallon, Mr. Strand would receive 4s. 2d. for the quantity of milk, 25 pounds (21 gallons of -1 per cent, test), required to yield a pound of but-tor-fat. After making duo allowance for Mr. Strand's expenses in. the feeding of cows .for the winter supply of mi-Ik nnd other incidentals, liis net return should he at least equal to 2s. 6d.' for the volume of milk that would give one pound of butter-fat. Preaching—But Not Practising. That was Mr. Strand's happy position when ho began, at the end of August, to urge less fortunate dairymen—the but-ton-producers—to accept 2s. or less for butter-fat. "Now that we know what prico we shall receivo ftom overseas for our butter, cheose, and other milk produets." ho wrote on August 30, "I think it is quite time wo paused to think and soo what it means to our own people here." Mr. Strand's use' of "we and "our buttor" was a little misleading. T'ho impression he gave to the pubho was that ho was mainly dependent on tho price of butter for his prosperity. The people did not know at this stags about tho public hospital contract. I'ree from care, personally, about the price of butter in New Zealand, while ho was drawing such a good return for his milk, from Wellington Hospital, Mr. Strand preached to tho butter-producers. "It seema to me like extracting bloodmoney," he stated in regard to the but-ter-producers' claim .for the oxport par- . it-y price on the local market—but he said nothing then about tho hospital contract. -. "What effect is it going to have—not onlv in the near, but also in the more distant future," ho continued, "if our womon and children are to be deprived of .a sufficient quantity of the best and' most necessary foods—milk and buttor? 1 But ho did not mention tho hospital contract, which put him on a 'better bnais - of profit than tho butter-producers. Pity-And the' Profit, "It is all very well," Mr. Strand went on. "for tho Government of this country to build sanatoria to cope with disease, „ but would it not be much better to en- > deavour to prevent disease? And there is no'bettor way, to my knowledge, to do this than by giving our children the very beat start in life that we can. In other words, aro we going to allow the greed of a few dairy farmers to jeopardise the health of tho community?" The . Government did build a sana-torium-the Wellington Public Hospital —to cope with disease, and Mr. Strand has-been receiving a , beter net return for supplying milk to • the men, women, and children there than butter-producers have received at the factories. It is well .known that though_ butter U a very important article of diet in an average household, milk may be still more important in many homes, where inrnlids or children may need special treatment. . . But Mr. Strand has been receiving more for the milk supplied to tlie Public Hospital than other' dairy farmers have received for milk sold to the City Council, which distributes it (through private companies of vendors) at Bd. n. quart (the present charge) for small consumers, who thus pay 6s. Bd. for tui) quantity..(2, gallons of milk containing an avo'r'ngo of 4 per cent, of butter-fat) • required to yield one pound of butter. : Yet Mr. Strand has implored the butter- ! producers to have moro of the milk of . human kindness" in theit composition, • and' for tho. love of humanity'to accept ■ ;l«ss than Mr. Strand for their cows ' mllk 'What Mr. Strand Has Proved. : Thus Mr. Strand has proved himself . " in the end to bo— • v ' „„„ ; A doctor who does not take his own ' "a gander who does not take tho philan- - tbropic, altruistic humanitarian- ■ sauce i which he prescribed for the butter-pro-T"aVwr who does not believe in acting on the'advice which he dispenses to • "when it- became known publicly that ' Mr Strand was vn a better way with the 6 hospital contract than tho but er-pToduc- : ers were, and in a better way than dairy farmers Who supplied Wellington city with milk, Mr. Strand made this an- . nouueement on October 1;-"I noj ofter ' any milk producer who likes to take it ' u P ; the hospital supply, provided ho wiU I satisfy the' Health Department as to ouantity and quality for the year : ?hK and I myself will continue to > supply the much-abused City Council, 1 and be just as well oft. ' , [ This declaration comes rather late. Practically. Mr Strand offers to drop [ tho bat now that he is bowled out. > Then-And Nowi i What a different Mr. Strandl the P"1 « mirrw-nroducer, conscience-strick-producer butter-fat. for a while I L --Sir idol, but the. people can ns the Popular looi cven ; "Sr'now-inhis triHimph where all I Str»out e o r ;,thoarK>ils that hi. ■ altar, I Death lies dead.