THE BUTTER EXPORT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 417, 6 November 1889, Page 4

THE BUTTER EXPORT.

To a country like ours, which depends bo greatly' on its exports of bulky producei any new industry like that of the dairy which allows of its results being packed in a small bulk, deserves our attention. If for no other reason than saving in freight on the value of the export — one hundred pounds' worth of butter costing much less in freight than one hundred pounds' worth of hay — we should endeavour as far as possible to help the butter trade to a rapid development; and this seems to have been laid hold of by the New South Wales Government and to have been acted upon with such right good will in the interests of New South Wales, that the dairy interests of New Zealand will be seriously incon-. venienced, not to say injured, thi-s season if prompt steps are nob taken to follow the lead of the older colony. With a view of stimulating the production of first-class butter, the Government' of New South Wales are offering bonuses on the best qualities, and have appointed experts to examine the quality of all butter coming forward for shipment in order to prevent any but the boeO butter from the colony reaching che Home market. The butter space on board many of the large steamers which carry frozen mutton is necessarily limited, being only provided with a view of utilising the surplus cold from the freezing chambers. This space has been engaged by that Government of New South Wales on ail the steamers of the Orient line, and in fact, all the available space for the package of butter ha 9 practically been made over to thi3 Government. The export from New Zealand for last year amounted to thirty thousand hundredweights, valued at £118,000, and it is probable this output will be very largely augmented during the present season. The action of the New South Wales Government will prove highly detrimental go this young industry unless immediate action places our farmers on more even terms. Half our export appears to have gone by Sydney last year ; and with a larger output, the supply of direct freight offering is very inadequate to the probable demand. In what direction must we look to improve matfcors ? Any application to Government should, after our past experiences, always be regarded with great suspicion. Yet it seems the only way of competing with New South Wales is by fitting the official weight of our Government against the other one. Government is growing a bigger thing every day, and each new departure adds to the weight of the Civil Service which hangs on the back of the colony like an old man of the sea, and will not be retrenched. Every application for additional work makes the excuse for a fresh billet, with a further addition to the enormous expenditure. The process of making applications has only to be continued long enough to achieve the result of our becoming alt Government, with only a few sheep to be governed. There are, however, certain functions which belong entirely to Government. One of these is the issue of the coinage, with definite weight and fineness of metal guaranteed by the Government stamp. This is a principle that might be extended with much benefit to exports, and the Government of New South Wales have evidently made a step in this direction. All the butter exported must bear the impress of the Government expert, and no butter of a second-class quality is to be allowed to leave the colony. * It is very evident that the results of this official examination of the export must prove of great benefit to tho market price. Time after time complaints have been made as to the unequal qualities of our dairy productions ; time after time has it been pointed out that the bad qualities of butter and cheese seriously affect the sale of the better classes. Only quite recently we have had reports on the new export of flax, showing that some inferior manufacturers were endeavouring to palm off a bad article at the risk of a general reduction in prices all round. But if the brand of the Government be impressed on the package this is of such value to the purchaser as will enable him thoroughly to gauge the proper value of the article of produce, with a complete confidence that he will nob be led astray. Nor is it quite unlikely that some of these depreciatory reports have proceeded as much from trade interests as from any real defects in the produce. It is a wellknown trade axiom that to call stinking fish of what we have to sell is not the most attractive manner of cringing us purchasers, and the contrary may perhaps hold good and form one of those tricks of the trade that so many people talk about and co few understand. When a man puts over hi 3 shop window the announcement «♦ No New Zealand butter sold here," he may be actuated by a desire to cheapen our butter that he may buy ie at a low price and retail it as the " Best) Sydney Suburban Dairy." The same trade trick was supposed to account for a time for the limited sales of frozen mutton. All things considered, therefore, it might be well that we should consider the advisability of following the lines of the New South Wales Government, and by so doing build up for our produce a recognised value in the Home markets. And if we do so we may follow the same mathod, which ensures that no butter can leave without the Government sanction by having all butter space let under contract to them. As to the bonuses which are being given by New South Wales for the best qualities of butter, they would doubtless prove stimulative to the industry, but unfortunafcoly we have so many other charges to meet that it would-be better to content ourselves with Government supervision and guarantee of the quality. ■ The matter is one which should be actively ventilated through the dairying districts. Every maker who prides himself on the excellent quality of his butter should join in those steps which would prevent a bad maker from spoiling a good market. ' This year's difficulty may "also be got over by -the despatch of one or two cargoes chiefly " consisting of fruit and ~ dairy produce', by some of these numerous sailing vessels nbw fitted with refrigerating machinery. The cost of maintaining a temperature sufficiently low to preserve fruit and butter might be,' perhaps, rather less than "the expense of maintaining a lower temperature for the preservation of' the more perishable mutton. But in any case the beneficial effect of a Government selection and brand should nob be lost sight'of, bub should be iully discussed by those who are directly interested in the export trade. " Auckland Star," November 2.

borne men s promises are like foam on a glass of, bear. Clerk : " Fader,. a shentleman in de store vanbs to know if dot allvool, non-shrinkable shirt vill shrink.',' ; Proprietor : "Does id ,fid him?" Clerk :,- <\No, "id is. too .big." Proprietor : , «• Yah >T idf,vill shrink.-'- „ ' . An exasperating editor being threatened with a coat of tar and .feathers said in his next issue : " The peopje in this f t6wn may break into somebody's henroost and' ( steal the feathers, but we know they are too stingy to buy the, tar." , „ r