DAIRY PRODUCE

Southland Times, Issue 18854, 21 June 1920, Page 5

DAIRY PRODUCE

ITS DISTRIBUTION. PROPOSED NEW METHODS. Alim’s Hull was pa-ked on Saturday when a meeting of cheese factory directors was held to consider negotiating, along with other branches of the Association, with the British Co-operative Wholesale Society for the marketing of New Zealand dairy produce. The president of (he South Island Dairy Association (Mr H. J. Middleton) prosified. The chairman outlined the scheme in which, he said, was proposed the establishment of a New Zee.land producers’ company which would elect three representative? to a hoard of control sitting in London. The Co-operative Society would also have three representatives and every week the board would fix the price of butter. In the event of a dispute, the New Zealand representatives would have the deciding vote although the Society would be under no obligation to purchase the product. They, however, would have the first option. The society would distribute the produce to (he co-operative retail societies affiliated with it. Half the shares in the New Zealand company, the representatives of wh ; ch in England would dispose of the New Zealand produce, would be purchased by the society and the other half would he held bv the factories it being proposed that for even- 10001b of butter-fat it produced a butter'factory should take two £1 shares and a cheese factory one sha-e for every IOOOib of butter-fat produced. The scheme, said Mr Middleton, aimed at the elimination of handling bv the middlemen which would be a better thing for the producer and the consumer.

A lengthy riis.cuss.ion on the matter ensued, Mr Middleton answering a number of questions. Fm.-lly. on the mepnn of Mr J. Fisher, seconded' by Mr Stirlng. it was resolved “That this meeting approves of the principle of co-operative selling and asks that another meeting should be held in July.”