WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 August 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

AUSTRALIAN RUTTER M Alt KLT CONTROL. j (Special to “Guardian”.) j WELL! XGTON, AUG. 7. j The Commonwealth ol Austrnli t lias established a Dairy Control Produce Hoard, but the Hoard has no power to interfere with the marketing: arrangement'. I here is no such tiling as

■'ahsolute control,” as the New Zc ahiml Dairy Control Hoard ivish.es to establish as from August Ist. 192(i. Ihe Federal Department of .Markets and Aiill'lltion has the power to proiiiliit exports of butter mid cheese, or lather it. should lie said that the exportation of butter and cheese to destinations other than the least are now prohibited unless licensed by the Department:. Licenses are to lit* issued

for a iKuiotl of 12 months as irom. August Ist, 192-1, subject to the conditions specified in the regulations. One of the most important conditions is i hat each exporter must within 7 days of the shipment ol the produce, lurtiish full particulars of the shipment on a form prescribed for the purpose. to tlie .Secretary of the Dairy Produce Control Hoard in Melbourne. Information required includes the quantity, grade, and brand of the butter or cheese exported, the destination of the produce, and whether sent on consignment. or sold i .0.1). or c.i.f. The exporter must also arrange lor the London Agonev ol the Con! rol Hoard to 1:> notified of the price obtained for the produce within 7 days ol its sale, ami ii'ttst also convey similar information I 1111-elf to the Hoard. During the currency of the license the exporter would to .subject to such other conditions an 1 restrictions imposed by the Minister on the recommendation of the Hoard. Kor instance, should it he found necessary to regulate supplies on the overseas market, power exi-ts to restrict shipments for Australia, this seems to he a method of meeting the situation other than that adopted by the New Zealand Control Hoard, at all events it v.ill he interesting to see how the two

systems operate. Australia lias already established a National brand,

and grading and other details ot production are being attended to, and no donlit an insurance policy as arranged by the New Zealand Hoard is open in Australia. Australia is giving close attention to dairying, and we must expect keen competition from that quarter. The estimated production of butter in the Commonwealth during 191:7l«;2o season was 198,992 tons, being an increase of 97, 202 tons on the quantity produced during the previous season. The total quantity of blitter exported from Australia during the 1921-21 season was apptoximately 01,00(1 tons being an increase ol H 1,700 tons on the exports during the previous year. Copious ranis have talien ill Australia and now the season s output should show a substantial expansion. and what is more, the quality is also certain to show an improvement. The "Kangaroo” brand lias already made a name for itsell in the Hritisk market, and during the past season the best Australian butter sold was on a parity with New Zealand. WOOL STATISTICS WANTKI).

There is a genera! consensus of opinion that if price fluctuates in the wool trade are to lie minimised, more reliable statistics must be available. An ttnolHcial report ret cited ;n Australia from the I. uited States is to the cllwt that Government departments at Washington, with a view to furnishiji.g the trade with current information on wool snpplic- have proposed a plan liy which world wool production and con.stimpti it figures could be collected regularly by the International Institute of Agriculture at Home. The high wool prices lest December and the low prices at the present tyue. Mould not have occared. if current official statistics had been available. The plan under which Ike International Institute would gather the wool figures calls tor Government organisation in each ol the leading exporting and importing lour.trie., which won 111 keep in cle-e tout'll with producers, exporters, importers and the general wool trade, and submit in forma t ion of current values to the Institute at IJonie. The Institute would analyse and summarise the reports from the different countries, ami redistribute the information by telegraph to the various Government agencies in each country. These Government departments would then imimliiitelv broadcast the world news on wool to producers and others. Similar xeriveo is being pcrlormed by the Institute already in connection with other Agricultural commodities, and il is believed that the collection of wool figures could he undertaken at a small

::• 1«1 it ional expense. Tile work could lie linn Heed, it' iio< -essary, liv the coiiui i ics which would he mainly he no file I l-v the information. 'l'lie urgency for -.(one reliable statistics is obvious. Hitherto the trade has ittiil the estimate;, and the forecasts issued l>y Sir Arthur Goldfinch, hut it has been decisively promt that his estimates are sett reply reliahle.