A FRIENDLY GESTURE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 22 January 1931, Page 2

A FRIENDLY GESTURE

TO LONDON MERCHANTS WHERE DAIRY BOARD FAILS FIRST ESSENTIAL QUALITY WASTE ON PROPAGANDA (By T.C.L.) The decision of the Dairy Control Board to appoint an advisory commit* tee in London representative of all London importers and the Board is a gesture which should be well received in London. The committee, according to the telegraphic report of the meeting, Is to meet regularly “with a view to taking joint action to deal with special marketing conditions as they arrive, and to exploring thoroughly the possibilities of obtaining wider distribution of New Zealand dairy produce I>y publicity, etc.” It would seem from this that the Board has begun to realise that, after all, it is better to have the friendly co-operation of the London importers than tlieir indifference, if not latent opposition, and that it pays to accept the advice of those on the spot. Formerly that was not the attitude of the Board, which regarded the merchants as expensive excrescences. Tooley street was openly assailed by socalled leaders of the industry, its motives and character were impunged, its methods condemned. The merchants submitted in silence to the obloquy, and proceeded to help in marketing the produce under the new conditions, warning the Board, however, that they would never work.. Everyone is acquainted with the result. The attempt to control the market was a fiasco, and the experiment cost New Zealand anything between two and three millions sterling. Since then there has been a good deal of criticism of and animosity shown to the London merchants, who naturally grew tired of the repeated misrepresentation and ill-natured and ill-informed criticism, and New Zealand produce has been left to find its own level on the markets in competition with that of other countries. Many will say there is no sentiment in business, particularly when it is transacted in London, but experienced commercial men know that sentiment still plays a most important part in business, especially when, as in this case, it. is Dominion produce selling in competition with foreign produce. The Produce Board has now realised, as it ought to have realised from the first, that the interests of the merchants and the producers are identical, and that there is everything to gain and nothing to lose by working in close co-operation with them and seeking their advice and help. It has certainly taken the Board a long time to realise this obvious fact, but for taking the step, even at this belated stage, they deserve commendation. Naturally the Board is desirous of doing everything possible to increase prices for our produce, hence this desire to co-operate with the merchants in extending markets. An improvement, however, in the quality of our products is the first essential. There are repeated complaints from England that our butter is often stale and rancid, due to long or bad storage. Cannot the Board influence the factories here to discontinue tlieir holding policy; or influence such of the wholesalers and retailers in England who are concerned to discontinue undue storage? Then, in regard to cheese, the quality has gone from bad to worse, and to embark on a campaign of advertising and extension of markets is so much waste effort and money. The Board had an opportunity of doing something really -worth while about standardisation. And wliat did it do? Agreed to Mr Singleton’s weak compromise proposition instead of boldly supporting tlie prohibition of standardisation. Had the Board done the right and sensible thing the British merchants and consumers would have been reassured and the effect on demand and prices would have teen immediate, instead of which New Zealand has received no credit for trying to meet the wishes of the market, and prices have continued to sag. Standardisation will ultimately have to go if payable prices are again to be obtained. Mr Singleton vacillates, and the Board supports him in his vacillation. It recognises the necessity for taking counsel of the London merchants, who have told the Board in inequivocal terms that standardisation is ruining the market, yet it will not protest against the half-v r ay course advised by the head of the department and seek to do the obvious thing to remedy matters. Thousands and thousands of pounds, hard earned by the dairy producers of the Dominion, have been wasted in the past on advertising and propaganda at Home just because the quality of the article we are sending is not right. The Board has been repeatedly told this by disinterested investigators, but it still devotes practically the whole of its attention to the marketing end of the business. It is putting tlie cart before the horse. If the Board shows such a lack of appreciation of the main essentials of the situation it is little wonder that it is fast losing the confidence of the industry and the country.