DAIRY PROTEST

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 291, 21 November 1936, Page 5

DAIRY PROTEST

TARANAKI DIRECTORS . Heavy Increase In Cost Of Boxes. Taranaki dairy factory directors are voicing strong protests as a result of the action of box manufacturers in sending amended invoices showing substantial increases in the price of butter boxes and cheese crates ordered since July’.. /North Taranaki company secretaries interviewed yesterday felt serious concern at the increases l . One company' has announced its intention of. referring the matter to the Government to alleviate costs of production. According to the invoices trie cost ot butter boxes lias risen from Is 4Jd delivered last year to an average of 2s 31d delivered this l year, or lid a box, which is equal 'to a 67 per cent, increase. (As 40 boxes are used to pack a ton of butter the .increased ,!• *» < cost, per ton is £1 ,16s Bd. Cheese crates have risen to 2s 6Jd 'this year, compared with Is 9d for a similar crate last season —a 45 per cent, increase. This increase represents an additional cost of 10s a ton. On the Dominion production of 175,000 tons of butter yearly’ the extra cost will mean, more than £300,000 to the industry, and on a Dominion basis of. 105,000 tons of cheese the increase equals £52,500. The industry throughout the country therefore will have its' costs increased by c.;52,0C0 on the basis of last year’s production. The dairy’ industry in Taranaki will be faced with an additional burden of £46,400. Taranaki last year produced 547,736 boxes of butter. so that the fficreased expenditure on the same basis will be -£25,100 'thiy year. The cheese export -of the province last year was 538.244 .which will represent! (an, inSfireasec cost this year of £21,300. One dairy factory manager has put -the matter simply by stating-that it ■would cost the individual dairy: ■farmer £1 for every 10001 b of butterfat produced this year, or out of every' £52 he will receive he will be i’i quired to pay £1 more 'thw year -’n account of increased box’ and tfcl&tc costs. '