EXPORT OF DAIRY PRODUCE. VISIT OF A LONDON REPRESENTATIVE. PROSPECTS OF EXTENSIVE TRADE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 302, 26 September 1888, Page 4

EXPORT OF DAIRY PRODUCE. VISIT OF A LONDON REPRESENTATIVE. PROSPECTS OF EXTENSIVE TRADE.

Auckland, September 21. Mr Mi. vnows, the representatives of Messrs Trengrouso and Co., produce merchants 1 London, luftlhismorning by the s.s. Wanaka for Taranaki. Prior to his departure he w a& interviewed by a Stak reporter with reference to the objects of his visit to New Zealand and the prospects ot establishing a profitable export of dairy products from this c olony to London. Mr Meadows said that his visit to New Zealand, which had been undertaken for business purposes, hadso far been thoroughlysatisfactory. In Auckland he had not been able to visit the country districts, but he hoped to bo back here in the course of a month, when he would have moie time at his disposal for that purpose. He had, however, while here seen the plants of several dairy factories — notably that of the New Zealand Dairy Association. The plants which he had seen were quite up to the times, and the people of Ne»v Zealand were, in his opinion, in a position to make as good butter as anyone could expect to see. He had tasted several samples of Auckland-made butter, which he tound to be most satisfactory. The only difficulty now tn be oveicomo "was the getting of ihe butter to London. Do you refer to the high rates of freight ? Not so much to that as to the preservation of the butter in good condition on the voyage through the tropics till it reaches London. If it is practically shown that the butter will stand the long transit and can be depended upon arriving in uniformly good condition, the New Zealand article will command the best price. Do you think there is any prospect of a remunerative trade being established ? Certainly, if the butter can be landed in London in the same condition as I find it here. The butter which I inspected yesterday at the establishment; of Mr Reynolds, in Auckland, I consider to be of exceedingly good quality. Of course, it was winter made ; but that class of butter from spring grass would be the finest in the world. You think the Auckland butter might command a good price in London — as much, for instance, as the best Danish ? Your butter will command the same price as the Danish, and even with the high, rates of freight I think you should be able to compete with the Continental shippers of butter to the London market. The price varies very much according to quality, and according to season. In the winter, the best quality of butter goes as high as 150s per cwt. The New Zealand spring and summer butter would reach London just at the time that the prices are highest. As to the salting of the butter ? Well, London and the larger towns, which will be the chief consumers, want their butter very mild— almost entirely fresh. The absence of salt need not increase the difficulty of preserving the butter in good condition during transit. As for the method of packing, Pond's boxes are certainly good, but I question very much if it is necessary to use such expensive boxes. Kegs of the ordinary kind might be found to answer just as well. "Will there be any difficulty in getting the New Zealand butter into the proper commercial channel in London? Not the slightest. You have only to satisfy the English people on the score of quality and they will buy the article. Yes, of course, there will be a certain amount of prejudice to overcome, but that will disappear very quickly when the people get to know the value of the goods. Do you think any London importers are likely to give orders for New Zealand butter, orwill it have to be sent on consignment ? Well, you cannot expect orders until the London merchants are satisfied that the butter can be pent with a certain degree of uniformity, both as to quantity and quality. Once you can give assurance that consignments will be of a certain quality, orders will follow as a matter of course. Our firm are meaning to foster the trade if it is at all possible, and my presence here at great expense and los& of valuable time is the best proof that we consider there is something in it. No ; imported butter is not sold by auction in London, but the current price iis fixed by the state of the market. 1 can quite understand that there has been disappointment with the returns from New Zealand butter sent to London in the past. That is because the consignments were not sent through the proper channels. They have come through banks and other institutions, who employed produce brokers, who sold to the merchants, and there have thus been several unnecessary commissions to deduct, with the result probably that nothing was left to the producer, after freierht, storage, charges, &c., had been paid. We hope to introduce a better system. After a few more remarks, the interview \ closed, I