The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. "We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice." TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1918 THE DAIRYING BOOM.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 388, 2 July 1918, Page 2

The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. "We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice." TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1918 THE DAIRYING BOOM.

Whether or not his confident anticipations that payment! to suppliers of 3/-or 3/6 per lb butterfat will be . the outcome of the manufacture of dried skim milk powder are realised or not, to Mr W. Goodfellow, the Managing Director of the Waikato Dairy Co., Ltd., congratulations are due for having stirred uo a very healthy interest in the future ef dairy farming. The venture of 1 the N.Z. Dairy Association in its glaxo factories at Matamata and Matangi, although of moment to the suppliers concerned, failed to awake the general enthusiasm that Mr Goodfellow's latest proposals have done and indeed but for Mr Goodfellow's present activity it is doubtful if there would have been any suggestion of the Dairy Association establishing dried milk factories in other centres, as Is now the case, seeing that at the annual meeting of the Association last year the subject was hardly broached. By this we do not mean to impugn

the methods of the Association's management for the explanation Is that the Association's Directors

do not entertain the exalted opinion of the prospects ot the prospects of the dried milk industry that MrGoodfellow has formed, hut nevertheless to compete with opposition the Directors of the Association now express willingness to provide facilities for the output of dried milk in suitable centres should their suppliers demand that course to be followed. It is evident that a better guide as to the payable prospects of the industry would have been afforded if the Association could report progress Independently of Messrs Xathan and Co. As it is, the Association naturally only has knowledge of the price paid to the suppliers and not of whnt the article actually realises. We have, however, previously stated that at the time the contract was made with Messrs Xathan the Association was probably wise in entering into the compact but whether such an arrangement is advisable for future enterprises is open to

doubt. The Association's claim that Olaxo, with its possession of the full btittcrfat contents of milk, only enables a certain return to

be made to suppliers ant! that accordingly dried -.kirn milk powder would not reach the value claimed for it by Mr Goodfellow is illogical because, as already explained, Messrs Nathan alone are aware of the true market value of their product. Moreover, the cabled advice which the Association has received, as referred to in the report of a meeting of dairy suppliers at Pukekohe appearing in another column in this issue, in regard to the ruling price In America for dried skim milk powder only affects that particular country and cannot be claimed to hold sway in other countries, especially as Mr Goodfellow has explained that there are new territories, such as India, etc., capable of being) exploited. Indeed the figures quoted by the Association on the strength of the information from America represent 3s 4d per lb butterfat less cost of manufacture of and marketing the powder or in any case a considerable increase o» the suppliers' receipts in respect of Glaxo. Further, the Dairy Association's contention, again put forward at the Pukekohe meeting, that it is unreasonable to expect that shipping space would be found for dried milk powder, having regard to the fact that Dutter and cheese are confronted with difficulties in the matter of transport, is untenable seeing that Glaxo, as manufactured in the Association's factories for Messrs Nathan, is shipped without difficulty in fulfilment of ot Messrs Nathan's contract with the Imperial authorities and this although butter and cheese have been left behind. If Messrs Nathan are afforded shipping space a similar priviledge would certainly not be denied to others in the trade. We have no knowledge of the authority on which Mr Goodfellow bases his figures except that he has announced that the same are founded as the result of investigations made by a representative of the Company specially sent for that purpose to America. Mr Goodfellow's home separation and cheese schemes have given entire satisfaction to his Company's suppliers and there appears to be no real reason to suppose that he is too optimistic in his present calculations. Probably when speaking at Tuaka'u to-night he will take advantage of the opportunity accorded him of replying to his critics. The Dairy Association very properly advises its suppliers to exercise caution before favouring any drastic change in the matter ot output but to whatever organisation a supplier owes allegiance the objective to be aimed at is that he should be enabled to reap the best returns for his labours, whether such means the manufacture of butter, cheese, or dried milk powder. The mere I rivalry of one producing Company against another should count for nothing as against the good of the industry as a whole.