A NEW ZEALANDER ATHOME

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 26, 23 October 1937, Page 4

A NEW ZEALANDER ATHOME

Mr Cooper's Impressions of England DAIRYING RESEARCH The prejudice against New Zealand butter in the northern paris of England, though the produce enjoys considerable popularity in many other parts of the United Kingdom, was commented upon by Mr M. McG. Cooper. the 1933 Rhodes Scholar from Havelock North, who returned to Hastings last evening on a brief visit to his people i.n this district beforo going on tO Wellington. Mr Cooper, who is accompanied by his English wife, has speiit three years at Oxford University where he captained the Rugby fifteen, aud made a study of the nature of the demaud for dairy produce. He is now to spend two years in New Zealand with the Department of Scientific aud Industrial Eesearch aud is the first New Zealand Rhodes Scholar to join the service of the New Zealand Government. "In the north of England there is a prejudice against any butter which their traditions and upbringing does uot lead housewives to think is the best," said Mr Cooper in an interview. "Tbe prejudice goes back at least 50 years and, if the butter is not Danish, the people do not thii)k it is good. There is a definite bias against New Zealand butter and women will go into a shop and ask for a pound of New Zealand butter 'for cooking,' inferring that it was not for table use, though it was quite obvipus that when it reached home it would be used for the table. "Funny Snobbishnesses." "In the North you wifi find these funny little snobbishnesses." he said. "The people are quite different from those in the South and are of a different race. To go from Wales to the North is like going from one country to another. There is always a tremeudous amount of bias in purehasing gOods of any sort and, although the saies and distribution on New Zealand butter and cheese in the United Eingdom are very impressive, we still have to solve this problem. " ■ Mr Cooper felt that Neur Zealand produce, partieularly butterj was well advertised, but it was essential that something should be doue to get ' the retailers to push New Zealand butter more. In this way it would be possible to break down the prejudice that exists. "It will take time., for the unemployed in the North would rather buy margarine and then have a 'splash' qn a pound of Danish butter than buy any qther kind of butter all tlie time. There is a strong preference for white ' or light-colouied butter and the people will not buy yellow. This is in spite of the fact that it has been. proved by experiment that they cannot find any ditference in taste between white* and yellow. If they do taste it they imagine there is -something wrong witl» the yellow.'' While taking his degree at Oxford Mr. Cooper wrote a thesis on the nature of the demand for butter and cheese in the United Kingdom and he also conducted a consumers' survey of Oxford, attempting to analyse tho purehasing motives of the consumers of the city. This work took him five months and enabled hira to take h»s degree of Bachelor of Literature Camps For Unemployed. Mr. Cooper is partieularly interested in recreational camps for unemployed aud, though he did not know whether such camps could be organised itt New Zealand, his experifence of them m England made him feel that they Wero well wortb 'while. The camps iu England were being held as the result of the efforts of the University Council for Unemployed Camps. "Men from the depressed afeas, such as the more poverty-stricken parts of Wales, are broughts to the camps," ho said. "I was associated wjth four of these camps and at one about 1IQ attended. and, in addition, in the proportion Or one unemployed to five undergraduates, a number of students wero also in camp. While in camp both students aud unemployed are put to §ome work which will not throw anybody elpo out of a job." At oue camp where he was a. camn chief, Mr. Cooper said that everybody busied themselves excavating Roman remains, and, althqugh jt was work, it was obvious from their expressions that the unemployed had never enjoyed themselves so much. Mr. Cooper is tirmly of the opinion "that it is the' duty of everyone to take a keen interest in the welfare of those not quite so fortunate as oneself and though lio had plenty else to do while in England he felt that assisting with these unemployed camps was the most wortb whil«». Captain in Fifty Matches. I11 the realm of sport Mr, Cooper, after representiiig Manawlxenua and gaining his New Zealand Vftrsity cap at Rugby while at Massey College, Palmerston North, quickly wbn his Rugby "blue" at Oxford and in three seasons he captained Oxford in 50 matches. which is probabiy a record. He' tfaa capped fqr Scotland in 1935j playing against Wales and Ireland. The followipg year he captained Scotjand in one game but study prevented him from participating in further interuational games that year. Comraenting upon the coming British tour of South Afrioo next year R$r. Cooper said that good forwards anfi fast, enterprising backs are expected to comprise the side. He considered that the team would do exceptionally well. As regards scrummaging he was of the opinion that it was essential to pack low and push — and keep on pushing, 'I've brought my boots with mo but 1 don't know yet whether I will be playing while I am stationed at Wellington,'' he said with a smile. Mr. Cooper will he leaving Hastings on Tuesday to eoinmence duty at Wellington t and in the meantime he and Mrs. Cooper are visiting relatives and iriendn in yarious parts oi ^he district, ,