Second Edition NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE IN ENGLAND

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 January 1915, Page 3

Second Edition NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE IN ENGLAND

Mr F. AY. B. Greville, the well-known editor of the New Zealand Dairyman, who has just returned from a visit to England and the Continent, lias an interesting article on whit he learned in connection witli the New Zealand •• produce on the English market, in this month's issue of the dairyman. The following has been extracted from it:— The trader of England is the most conservative man in the world. What he does to-day he did yesterday. What he did yesterday he did twenty years ago. What he did twenty years ago his father did before him fifty years ago. This is the stone-wall one s always meeting. When asked why they did not buy direct- from the factories and eliminate the broker they answered: "We prefer to buy on the market." That is the 'Universal answer. And when do these people buy? Always, if they can gauge the market right when the price is down to absolute bedrock. Some goods they do geT without buying 'before delivery, but these are trifling in quantity and 1 infinitesimal in value. "Wo have had that dairy of English cheddar for over thirty years," said one of th'e most highly respected of these multiple shopkeepers in answer to our enquiries. "When it comes in neither the maker nor ourselves know what will be the price. It depends on the market. If the price goes up before a settlement is made, the maker gets the benefit; if it goes dotwn he gets a little, not much, less. The reason that he does not get much less is because we know the quality, and in our trade quality is imperative." This business is one of hundreds that have been built up on the good old lines of honesty and strict integrity. Started fifty years ago in one tiny shop, the business has been built up, little by little, until ovpr one hundred of the finest shops in the metropolis are owned by one man. There is only one way that records can be made like this—that is, by fair dealing and keeping goods of the finest quality. And these people prefer to buy on the market It is by buying the goods on the market that they have made their money, and they are not going to risk it now bv 'buying from the other end of the world goods that they have not an opportunity of personally inspecting. Very fine quality is of a great deal more importance to these people than one or two shillings per cwt.. • The one or two- shillings in a hundredweight is a mere bagatelle, if the quality is right, and this they determine by their own buyers. One man buys the butter and another buys the cheese. Grading they attach little importance to though they recognise the value of

brands. "T would buy that factory's cheese for ten years ahead, but they won't sell. Each season we have to run round the city to find out who has it. But we nearly always get it. We have had that man's cheese now for nearly 21 years," said the head of the firm.

THE BLENDER. How much butter goes into the hands of the blender is a matter not easily decided. One good authority, in an attempt to trace the destination of colonial butters, puis down the percentage sold to blenders at 12.39. But in the tables are two ominous lines: "To retail shopkeepers 42.71 and to wholesale houses 41.70." It is possible, tnkirrg these figures as an approximate guide, that less that half of our butter goes to tho blender. His object is. it is said, to prepare an article tliat shall possess the same characteristics the whole year round. The British public, he declares, has such a delicate stomach and such a very delicate sense of taste that he will detect even the very slightest deviation in the flavour of his wine his bread, his butter, and his cheese or other viands. To some slight extent we believe this to be true. But we are writing this on board the steamship Remuera, on which are a number of English people who are eating pure .inblended New* Zealand butter, that is at least fotir months old l , if not more, and wo have failed to notice any complaints. Not one of them lias asserted that the butter is not nice, or that they cannot cat the butter because they have always been used to tho best Normandy rolls. So we must admit that a good deal of this story about the urgent necessity for keeping an .uniform article all the year round is merely a pretext for getting another penny per pound profit.

"Play the game Fairly," but send more money. That is the sentiment of the shareholder— always the same cry "more money." Such harmless little frauds a® selling the finest New Zealand butter as best Dorset is a trifle if the resultant extra profft i§ another £10 per week. The multiple shopkeeper who "has one humdred shops netting him £5 per week each has a handsome income of £500 per week. The company which has seven times that number lias £35,00 net profit per week, and what right has the New Zealander to say what shall be done with hfs butter, when good English golden sovereigns have been paid him for it? He has neither mark nor reputation. A'or has ho ever tried toi establish either outside the ranks of the actual trader® in the goods. The retail shopkeepers know

well the excellence of the best brands of New Zealand 'butter. But ihe never tells his customer the source of its origin. He may know himself that the brand he is selling is the well-known "Hinemoa'"' brand, but where will 1 e find it next year? If the wholesaler with whom he deals hasn't the brand he must perforce accept another, for perhaps he owes his merchants anything: from £50 to £500. He cannot therefore always walk off to another meichant and buy. There is, besiles, the important matter of time. Tie has perhaps devoted as much of his day a* ho can well spare at the market and is anxious to get back to his ,-,hop. A l ' this is greatly in favour of the blende?. His specious arguments toi supply "a uniform article all the year round appeals to the retail butter man Nothing is more conducive to working up a good connection in the retail trade • s good butter and good Tea. The blender operates both these commodities. He takes more than half the profit of the butter; he takes an extra roll of another penny per lb over and above his legitimate profit off tea. His .shareholders get big dividends; he is declared by his directors to be a "devilish smart fellow." worth another £500 a year and 1 he gets ft. That goes on for a year, five years, ten years, then comes the knighthood.