CHEESE INTERESTS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 182, 3 July 1937, Page 9

CHEESE INTERESTS.

REPLY TO REPRESENTATIONS. MINISTER NON-COMMITTAL. A letter has been received from the acting-Minister of Marketing, Hon. W. Lee Martin,.in response to representations made at the conference of cheese producing interests held in Palmerston North recently. The resolutions carried at the meeting were as follow: (1) That this meeting requests the Government to honour its promise to cheese companies for the past season, by giving them a price for cheese to enable the average cheese company for the past season to pay out 14d per lb more than that now paid out by average butter companies. (2) That the basic price be on 914-02 grading cheese, 924 to get 7d premium and 93 to get Is 2d. (3) That the shrinkage on waxed cheese be If per cent. To these the Minister has now replied. as follows: “The request that the Government should consider the payment of some additional amount to cheese companies has already been represented to the Government and will be considered in the light of the results of the season s operations. 1 can, however, give no undertaking that there will be any review of the existing arrangements in respect of the season just closing. “In connection with the suggestion that there should be a slight variation in the grading points for cheese carrying the basic guaranteed price. I have to state that consideration will be given to it. 1 would point out, however that for this season 78 per cent, ol tiio total cheese output has been paid for at the existing basic guaranteed price or better. I take it that this can he interpreted as an ini'* uition that the method of payment is reasonably sound. Actually the Wellington district cheese factories obtained the basic guaranteed price for 60 per cent, of thenoutput and the basic price or better lor 79 per cent, of their output. “In regard to the resolution dealing with the question of shrinkage on waxed cheese, I would draw attention to the very complete statement which was made early in the season on this question. In that statement it was indicated that a general 24 per cent, shrinkage on cheese is allowed for in the guaranteed price formula and if a different and lower shrinkage were allowed for on waxed cheese, the purchase price of that waxed would he lower than than at present and thus the results so far as the companies are concerned, would he no different.