THE ENGLISH BUTTER MARKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8156, 13 July 1906, Page 2

THE ENGLISH BUTTER MARKET.

IMPRESSIONS OF A TARANAKI MERC (I ANT.

Mr T. W. Welch, the well-known produce merchant, of New Plymouth, who has just returned from a trip to the Old Country, was interviewed by a Daily News representative. The convo.'sa 'an principally turned on two > bjecis —the proposal to station a representative in the London market to watch the interests of the New Zealand producers, and the question of butterfaking. Mr Welch connects the two. He is not over sanguine as to the probable success of the plan of stationing a man in England. " One man would bo useful," he said in reply to our query. " A thousand of them would find plenty of work to do, but for one man it is absolutely out of the question that he can be of any material value. A good deal is said about the New Zealand Government spending money through their High Cotnmiamissioner in advertising the colony's products, and while, doubtless, good work is being done, there exists the necessity and the room for improvement But," and he emphasised the word, "it is ridiculous for us in New Zealand to talk about advertising the colony's products, either through a High Commissioner or by sending one or more men Home to look after our interests, while we ourselves sacrifice our products by placing them in certain channals, knowing full well that they have no chance of reaching the consumer as New Zealand goods. 1 refer to the pernicious system in vogue of factories and farmers selling their goods six months ahead to speculators, whose only interest in the deal is to get as much profit on their purchase as possible, irrespective of whether it is used for manipulating purposes or sold, as is sometimes done, to pass through English dairy factories. The same applies to consigned goods where factories and farmers insist upon being guaranteed without recourse to fie highest advance possible. You see the point. It is useless our raving about our produce not being well known at Home while by our system of disposing of it we take a goodly proportion off that market as New Zealand produce. While our total exports are so small in comparison with the consumption of these articles at Home, if we desire to obtain a name for them it is absolutely necessary every pound should reach the consumer with tlie knowledge of its origin." "And how can tliat bo done, Mr Welch ?" queried the reporter. " The only way to effect this is by the interests of producer and merchant being identical, and this can only be on foods consigned with recourse." Here the reporter interjected, " Our farmers say they arc supplying a demand. Wou't they lose money if they give manipulators the go-by ?"

"I do not think so, New Zealand butter, on account oE its quality and dryness, lends itself to manipulation more favourably than that of other countries. Consequently, I am of opinion the manipulated article would suffer. We must bear in mind, however, that even if we lose a fraction of a penny per pound for a time we should be establishing a reputation for our product that would in the very near future more than compensate for this."

" You think, then, that New Zealand butter will sell as New Zealand butter on the Home market ?" " Exactly. There is no need to sell to ' fakers.' The position at Home today is that except among brokers, merchants, wholesale and semi-whole-sale houses, New Zealand butter is practically unknown. Many storekeepers that I visited whilst in the United Kingdom confounded New Zealand with Australian butters, and the actual consumers, in the majority of cases, were unaware that New Zealand exported butter, it being generally asked for as ' colonial,' which would include Australian."

" Do you know of any New Zealand factory brands being particularly asked for by customers in English retail shops ?" " Yes. But only on very rare occasions, as far as I could ascertain " " How would open consignment prevent the consignee from selling to m mpulators 'i' " It would not prevent but considerably minimise the risk, as the consianee's iniercs.s and the factory's int rests ire identical, and can never be otherwise under this system; and if consignments were made only to those fir.ns who have a connection Amongst storekeepers in the United Kingdom, it is to their interests to keep the mini nutated article out.

" While I was there, I made it my business to look up Ihc storekeepers handling our produce in order t<r find out how they received it, and so forth." Did you notice whatorder the butter was in at those stores ?"

"Yes. Very good, but still there is a very general complaint about the ti'lay in discharging our butter, and this seriously inconveniences merchants." " And the quality of it ?"

" The brands known to me, that I was given the opportunity of examining in different stores, turned out very well with but one or two exceptions. I noticed a varia'ion in quality of butters of the sane brand, same day's make and churning, and can only assume exnosure or careless handling was the oause. By the way, I found many merchants wl»o yore unaware that the pencil marks on boies referred to the day's make and churning of the butter."

Ask'd to the prospects of the next season, Mr Welch replied : "It is too early to form an opinion, but it is generally belie Ted th it, although the same high prices may not be realised, there will not 1)C difference. The prospects appear at present to be good " " Aro you still acting for the Cardift firm ?'■'

"No. While t. wis away I arranged to act as New Zealand repi'csentitive for Messrs R. and W. Davidson, of Glasgiv, who have branclu b in London, and Newcastle, and agents in all the leading towns in the United Kingdom. It may interest yru li know that New Zealand butter suitable for the Welsh market might be altogether unsuitable in the M Hands, which -jain would be uns litabh; further north, aud many brand- that I saw in some towns would, acirrlln'? to advices given me, have done better m other parts of the country. There are as many different tastes in butter as dialects in tho Old Country."