PRIMARY PRODUCTS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2683, 15 January 1924, Page 3

PRIMARY PRODUCTS

INVESTIGATION TN GREAT BRITAIN.

“There is no doubt about it, the produce of this country is being exploited.’’ said Dr. H. T. J. Thacker, of Christchurch, to a N.Z. Times representative. The doctor, while in England, as well as in the United Slates, paid particular attention to the sale and distribution of New Zealand’s primary products.

He stated that he had visited the Smithfield markets, and was astounded at the manner in which our meat was handled, also in the way it was tumbled into the barges; neither was lie impressed with the quality exhibited for sale in many of the shops “Instead of having only a few, a mere handful, one might say, of receiving ports for our produce,” he declared, “we should have forty or fifty.” For instance, he had spent some time at Torquay, where several thousands of tons of New Zealand produce might very well be landed and distributed from cool stores, which, he believed, the municipality would only be too willing to establish. This would also ensure a regular supply to that part of the country. He had been offered mutton as New Zealand without tags on il, knowing quile well that it was Argentine. When he had pressed for the New Zealand product, it had eventually been produced from the safe. “There is no doubt about it. We are being exploited as far as our produee is eoneerned,” added Dr. Thacker. “We want to sell our stuff as New Zealand. We do not want Argentine mutton or anything else sold as ours!” He was strongly of opinion that if it were not possible to send New Zealand butter Home in pats, that wrappers should he enclosed with the brand “New Zealand” clearly stamped on them, in which to sell in pound pats. “As it is now,” declared Dr. Thacker, “they go Home u: btilh. boxes. The box is produced from the window, if you ask for New Zealand butter, where probably the flies have been resting on it, and it is hacked off in slabs. This kind of thing is not good enough. It is not a business-like way of doing things. Our produce wants to he presented in as attractive a form as possible. The question of labels with the name of this country on them is an important point.” The New Zealander was much interested in his visit to Boston, Mass, where he inspected the famous Willis wool plant, owned hv the firm of which Lord Barnsby is the head, and established there in order to evade the heavy American duly. Dr. Thacker has brought samples of “tops” back with him, and other samples of the way in which the wool is dealt with. He stated that it is completely reel as si fieri there and handled at the Willis plant, each storey of the huge building dealing with a particular grade of the wool. The firm have established a model settlement there, with schools and their own houses of entertainment.