DAIRYMEN'S VIEWS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 535, 28 May 1920, Page 2

DAIRYMEN'S VIEWS.

Reports of meetings of dairy farmers in various centres of this district, which were addressed by M : \Vm. Goodfellow (managing-direct, r of the New Zealand Co-operative Daii.V Company Limited) are pubiisi - edin to-day's "Times." Perusing the rejMirt, thee are two items at least JHrcb arc of prime importance. The ijfefi is that in every centre the dairymen unanimously expressed the •opinion that it hoy would get better prices on the Home market if con ■ mandcering and all restrictions o-i sale were removed. This is the at-

litiulc-'the '•Times" has taken up un.-, sisteiflly for several months past, an 1 we', are'glad in note that the daiiy . .farmers ,(.1' this urea' producing di- ■ ; lricf,«*-ei on. '..ith us on this i|U« ■ lion.'Sulliciont informalioii has bee i published from lime to Lime lo sh ■■ that the Impel ial (Jov.-rnim-iil li - done extremelv Well out nl the cor ■ mandeer ..I' New //aland pr.»du<;-. While we have no objection to its bavin- cone' out on the right side el ,;„. jiju-j, im (hiring and immediate)/ J following the war period, especial'. .• in view of the sliipping lacilities w" were s>i\en thereby. ar,l could have obtained in no other way. there » no justilication for the contimiaiic' of conditions which, so vitally and a' - versely affect the incomes ot our dairy farmers. The first essontn I thing is to get a free, open selling to the highest bidder, and the second is to lake whatever steps n iav be practicable 'to prevent Urn

~,,,'ss adulteration '»f N -,, w /A-alar I butter in the Unit.nl Kingdom thenby lessening the prestige we havo built up by n>ar,v yea is nl patient an ,l costlv effort en the part <>f our j lactones''numai-emcnt, uy mhivnlual farmers, and ',. our Government grading. We need capable representstion at the selling end of the bust- ( ae»B, which, we understand, is heing

The second point we refer to i.> the claim by Mr. (ioodfellow that the retail price in the Dominion should be increased by 5(1 per lb, making the retail sales at Is 10J. *.t jr...' -i be interesting to Know jutt V.1..L land values were tnl.cn as a basU i: - estimating ■• the oust of produetin.i Without specific information '>n thi basic item it is difficult to arrive ;.. any conclusion as to the correct™-.- •■ or otherwise of Mr. Goodfellow's estimates. It can baJßly be expect (\! that the non-butteriat producers 'i

the community will view the suggrsied rise in retail prices with favour but there is the producer as well •■.* the consumer to consider. Any body of merchants has only to prove t > the Board of Trade that higher piices are necessary in order to cover the cost of production and yield a reasonable profit, and advances re permitted. Why should the dn'vy farmers be the one section of the community to be sacrificed for the sake of the remainder'.' The position is manifestly unfair, provided Mr. Goodfellow's estimates can ba taken as a reliable guide: one would hardly expect him to quote figures broadcast, the accuracy of which could ! e successfully challenged. In any c;::- A , on broad economic principles, it is time we were done with restrictions on sale, except in cases where undue profits are actually proven: the pric s fixed for retailing of butter ?.■■<*. largely arbitrary, and we think th A restrictions should, in the absence > f any proof of profiteering, be reim> edj and the anomaly whereby th<» dairy fanners are penalised for tie benef|t of the rest of the community swept away.