The Butter Market.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4410, 13 May 1909, Page 3

The Butter Market.

INTERESTING REPORTS. The Secretary of the Te Aroba Co» Op. Dairy Company, has just received the following reports from their New Plymouth agents, as follows S.B. “ Paparoa ” Butter. —We are this morning in receipt of account sales from Messrs Mills and Sparrow in complete settlement for the butter ex s.s. “ Paparoa ” You will remember that a serious fire on the Paparoa ” just before she reached Home, seriously affected the butter in several of her holds, and whilst a large number of boxes were jettisoned, the balance in different holds were more or less affected. In writing us MIII3 and Sparrow says:— “ The average price we find, unfortunately varies considerably for Jfthe different factories. These differences are caused through the various number of boxes jettionised on which we were only able to get insurance value, and also ithe varying quantities that were stored in the different holds of the steamer. Allowances in some holds where the damage was very slight, were very trifling, but in those cases where the butter realised the lower prices, the allowances were so much heavier that those factories who had their butter the most damaged, fared the best. We were of course very fortunate in getting such a heavy allowance on the badly damaged butter, and we hope our friends will appreciate what we have done for them. In the case of Te Aroha it is s'ightly better than some owing to a higher portion being damaged. We very much regret the delay in sending these account sales, but we have only just received the settlement, and although the underwriters of the brokers have paid us now, there is still trouble we understand between the Insurance Company and the Shipping Company—our effort has been to get our money. This we now have and they can go on fighting now as long as they like. We only mention this in passing, to point out the trouble there sometimes is in a settlement, and how difficult it is to bring these things to a satisfactory conclusion as promptly as we could wish.” v You will note from the attached account sales that your butter has averaged the very fine price of 128 s 9d per cwt. We trust that this will not only give pleasure to your directors, but will also give them still further confidence in Mills and Sparrow’s ability to look after your interests in every way in London. Wo note that your account sales show the very fine credit balance of £234 7s od. P.S.—We think that at the time the “ Paparoa ” was due to arrive in London the market stood at from 110 sto 112 s.

The following is a copy of letter dated 12tb March, which we have received from our London friends and it may be interesting reading to you : “ The market for butter is still drooping, and there seems to be no life in it. the sentiment is all against butter, and no one cares what becomes of it. The remit is the market is do.vn to 106 s, 105 s, aid we have known 106 s being taken. T 'is is to a large extent owing to indifferent quality of all New Zealand buccer, caused by the ext a moisture left in by tlm factorin'. T! is excessive moisture does not fend to improve the qudiiy, but on the other hand it causes do “rio l at.ion and brines on fishiness. We have heard bad reports of many wellkn nvn Factories, and some have exceeded tie limit of 16 per cent, and unless the lactones come oack to their old form, people on this side will be very chary cl tikinir on contracts. There has not been t iis difference between Danish and New Zr 'abifcsl for some years as there has been this winter. Secondary New Zealands are sold with the utmost cificulfy owing to their uot being as good as the Australians. We have never seen so many secondary New Zealand's sent forward as there has been this year, and this ought to be an instruction to the facro ies. Several of the factories sliippei have been vefy indifferent. Mr st of them err too much upon the mild side, as well as being ill flavoured and have kept very badly. The percentage of salt should be 2A ppr cent, with considerab’y less moisture.”