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Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 2, 25 August 1931, Page 5

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SUCCESSFULLY TRIED POSSIBLE CONTAINER FOR DOMINION'S EXPORT BUTTER. NEW N.Z. INDUSTRY. New Zealand seems more particularly to distinguish herself in the great Home markets for the quality and quantity of the butter she produces, says the Timber Growers Quarterly. The fame of her co-operative dairy organisations spreads all over the Empire. Canada and South Africa despatch delegates to find out how she does it. Within her borders are some of the largest and most efficient dairy factories in the world; and these are bound together by a big organisation which effectively handles mutual transport and marketing projects. in fine, the staple industry of the country is butter, and much of the wealth and prosperity of this wealthy and prosperous land flows, as it were, in a goldeh stream from that wonderfully us^ful and altogether excellent animal, the cow, The total amount of butter manufactured yearly in this Dominion is 3,767,157 boxes (1930 figures). The boxes hold ' half-a-hundred-weight (561bs) each; so that her total butter production in Ibs. reaches the enormous figura of 210,960,792 a year. The New Zealand butter production business is run by men who understand their jobs and take a neverfailing interest in improvement in regard to teehnical methods, short-cuts, factory control, and- handling; which also includes packing and transportation to market. Among them is Mr. A. Hanson, managing director of the Kaipara Dairy Co., Ltd., Helensville, North Auckland. He is a man with a broad business outlook combined with a genial personality; which nieans that if there is anything new in the air, Mr. Hanson is , one of the first to learn about it and one of the first to canvass its possibilities. British Children and Cows. While the cow of India is a Sacred Animal and yet is reputed to be one, of the most miserable and badlytreated of bovines, the cow of New Zealand c is scientifically-cared-f or, happy and contented butter-fat-pro-ducing machine. And from these fine herds grazing in the always-green New Zealand pastures, these very cows that, as to-day you pass along the road, you see quietly cropping the succulent grass, comes the sweet, pure butter that lies on the tables of Great Britain and builds healthier and happier British children 14,000 miles away.

"Considering the fact that a white pine butter box costs IS 5d," says Mr. Hanson, "the weight of which, by the way, when it comes to the question of transport, is from 8 to 10 Ibs, and considering further that our dairy factories in this country produce nearly 4,000,000 boxes of butter annually, it can be seen that the total first cost of butter-boxes runs into the enormous figure of considerably over a quarter of a million pounds a year (£266,840). "There are, of course, several imported sawn boxes on the market. One of these is of foreign manufacture and it costs about ls 4|d landed at the factory, but it is inferior to our native white pine container on many counts. The box we use is the best available, the kahikatea (N.Z. white pine) box, which costs us ls 5d — or, to put itAn terms of annual turnover, we pack 80,000 boxes a year at a total annual cost of over £5600." Enormous Savings in Cost. . "On the dther hand," continued Mr. Hanson, "the woodpulp container has numerous advantages. In the first place, its landed cost is only lld, and^ I understand that in quantity manufacture that cost could be reduced to somewhere near 8d. Taking the first figure, however, for purposes of comparison, we have a saving of 6d per box as compared' wth our white pine container. On the basis of a saving of 6d per box, the total saving in package cost alone to the New Zealand dairying industry would be £95,000 every year; while on the basis of a saving of 9d per box, that figure would reach £142,000 annual- * ly. o "Then there is the question of the eomparative cost of transportation, through the difference in both weight and measurement. There is no doubt that the white pine box is the most popular existing container for New Zealand butter, but apart from the question of first cost that I have already mentioned, the weight of that box is 8 to 10 Ibs, while the weight of the woodpulp box is under 3- lbs; and in regard to eomparative measurements, the wood box is half an inch longer, also one inch higher and 3-8ths inch wider at the end than the pulp box. The difference in weight of over 5 lbs pbr box would naturally very considerably cheapen transportation costs and make for quicker and easier handling. The woodpulp container is also easier to grip with the hands, as its edges are flanged with light small wooden battens. "Another advantage about the pulp box is that the four sides are made in one piece. There are no longititudinal gaps through which the butter might squeeze or through which foreign matter might enter and contaminate the .butter inside, as is the case with some containers; and, furthermore, there is no danger of splitting as in the case with any wood container at all. The pulp box must to a certain extent be safer from a sanitary viewpoint than even the white pine box. Experiments Favourable. "The wooclpulp container is, of course, in its experimental stage, but I am personally satisfied— -and I believe my opinions will be endorsed by many of those en'gaged in the but-ter-factory industry of the country — that it is the container of the future. This is more particulafly the case for two reasons. The first of these is that as far as the New Zealand made white pine box is concerned," the time is drawing very close when, owing to the increasing scarcity of this already scarce timber, these boxes will be unprocurable at a workable price; and seccnd, that the pulp box is superior to the imported foreign manufactured article. Then there are the overwhelming advantages I have already enumerated —

lower first cost, and lower transportation. cost through lighter weight — which are sufficient in themselves to result very soon in bringing this woodpulp container out of the experimental stage and into the field of practical usefulness. "Has the woodpulp box any disadvantages as compared with other containers? Well, personally I consider that what disadvantages even this experimental box possesses are not only comparatively slight but can be done away with by means of a few changes. It must be kept in mind that it is as yet in the experimental stage and is not yet perfect. Nevertheless, even as it stands, as I have said, it is, in my opinion, a better box than many now in use. "This package has had its first tryout in actual practical use; butter has been (packed in it and exported to London. We have received reports from two of our London agents in regard to the behaviour of the container and these reports strongly justify the formation of a very favourable judgment as to the future value of this class of container to the industry. The report made by the Government dairy inspector is of a different nature, as it does not deal with the advantages of the box so much as it points towards various alterations that should be made to it. "One alteration which I consider must be made is to have a white box, instead of one made of brown or grey pulp board. The present favourite New Zealand-made container is a beautiful white, clean-looking article; and you know, a clean appearance counts a great deal in the packing and sale of butter. It is certain that a box made of white pulp board is likely to be more popular than a brown one. The thing to do is io get something as near in appearance to the white pine container as possible."