FARM AND DAIRY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 26, 1 April 1915, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

(Notes by "Observer.")

BUITEK v. CHEESE

The old, old question of Butter v. Cheese agaiD came under review at a recent meeting of dairy farmers of the Waiuku district. It

is not jet a year ago since a very representative meeting definitely rejected a project to consider cheese manufacture, therefore a reconsideration of the nutter comes as a surprise feeing that no abnormal conditions have arisen in connection with the one product any mere than the other. War conditions have certainly galvanised th demand for both ard may also have already created new markets, but it canr.ot serously be put forward that the Dro?pects of cheese factory suppliers are one jot betttr.than butter suppliers. On the contrary th:re i 3 every leason to expect butter to prove the better proposition. People can a"d do manage with.u' cheese for weeks at a time, but butter they require every day. Chsesz caa never be ee iuusiy co. sidered as anything but a temporary substitute for meat, and t' f >e meat supplies of the worlj will Bgain come With demands when th' ' disturbing war confiscation disappears Aid whatever new markets are open.d up for cheese there are sure io be similar a-.vantages for the butter manufacturers. Taken over a peri:d of years with all contingent circumstances to: the producer duly considerd there seem< a vety small margin of pr.rit difference in favour of either. Companies with dutl plants have scored occasionally by manufactunrg cheese in a season particularly favcurable a&d have revert.d to butter at ;h? opportune moment and vi?e versa, but this has been more a matter of gocd luck than any special knowledge they possessed. The writer ban heard the merits for each commodity set forth by its strongest partisans, and after weighing all arguments put forward concludes that butter is a safe proposition to follow. PORKERS AND PRICES. The prices paid fur junkers by the various baeou companies fluctuate to an extent that cause farmers much concern. Firstly u moderate price rules, then each company finds it can handle some thousands of pigs more at a minimum of manufacturing expense 1 , and higher prices then appear as the result of competition for supplies, followed at no distant period by a big drop. As an instance the ■') ]d per lb of a few weeVs ago suddenly fell to Ijd, a difference to tho grower of 12 6 on a pig of 150 lbs. Ami this position is of constant recurrence. The extra cost, of course, is always passed un to the consumer and Inings about high prices for bacon, etc. Seeing that tho industry is not dependent upon export trade it seems unreasonable that this commodity should be sub ject to such fluctuation, as tho consumer always fares badly as the outcome. It seems to the writer that if the bacon companies in the Dominion were reduced by half, which would avoid a lot of bad manufacture and consequent loss, in addition to reducing the cost of manufacture generally by one works handling thousands more pigs with practically no increase in working expenses, there would be a set price for the farmer and a set price for the consumer. Nearly every bacon company telis its annual meeting of shareholders the same story: "If we could only get more pigs the cost of manufacture would be considerably decreased.'' The maintenance charges on plant, rent (if any), depreciation, wages, etc., run almost as much for putting through 2000 pigs as fur 3000, therefore it is but too evident to the onluoker that tho position and uncertain price pork growers have to put up with is capable of being remedied, What about State enterprise '. J THE MEAT MARKET. Whilst tho meat expoit business is under control of the Home Government so as to supply energy to those who are fighting to preserve the Empire there has been no attempt to commandeer such supplies on unfaii terms ; on the contrary a price is being paid to growers which allows a liberal margin of profit. This is characteristic of British Government to a degree, and is different

treatment to what many other countries would mote out to their subjects under the special conditions above mentioned. Whilst a small minority of growers have grumbled at being unable to make their own bargains direct with the various markets available others have patriotically accepted the situation and are freely supplying all the prime meat they control. One feature of this coininandeeiing of export at a good price is that it sets an increased value on all beef, whether suitable for expuit or not, and the result is that colonial consumers have to pay high juices for an inferior article. This, however, is of little consequence to the giazirr, whose cattle are usually only prime sorts, but the advantage pa-ses on to the farmer who has a few dairying rejects to deal'. On the v\ hole it is very gratifying to liud such readiness to help the Government fuliil its duty to the Motherland, and it rhows that those who cannot man the trenches an; assisting to keep open the lines of communication.