BUTTER MARKETING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 122, 21 June 1909, Page 3

BUTTER MARKETING

(CONSIGNMENT VERSUS 'SELLING. WHERE THE SPIRIT OF CO-OPERA-TION HAS FAILED. The return to the Dominion of Mr. j Charles Mackie from a missionary campaign of two years on British jnarl&cta 07i behalf of New Zealand dairy produce co-operators naturally raises tins great problem lie went Home to solve—the ; most effective marketing of New Zealand dairy produce. Mr. Maekie is, of course, not inclined to apeak of the results of his labors till he has reported to those factories of the National Dairy Association he has been representing. What he will have to tell the delegates of these at Palmerston (remarks the New Zealand Times) should prove the most interesting story yet related mi regard to the market end of £he ini dustrv.

Chief interest will centre in the question of consignment versus selling, and whether there is any reasonable hope of the Victorian consignment scheme beijig established, or whether, in the failure of concerted action, the disposal of the produce at the seat of production must become the principal means of dealing with factory outputs. ft will be remembered that the method of the Victorian combines provided Ibe model for the scheme of the National Dairy Association —pooling of ouljHiw for sale 011 consignment through a London representative, who. selected several rcputaide iinn< to It in.He lit:- produce. would merely net a« over-rein l ..' agenl, oonieniinL' himself wii!i Ninkiriir a close sindv of th.» market an I s.ei»i"-ig

t!r.it the selected brokers W'Vc Kcvurinihc hi*! tract hm for th;> produce of thi co'.nhine. The model, ii is -taled. was ; l>v Mr. \!:ickm> in of the produce in a number of fru-lorii* whieli \vcv.» proyri'-ive rnoimli to te*'.. . the principle 'which promised si» inn h 01 complete realisation. What, it I would be very instructive 10 Know. hn> | j been the. result? Have 1 In* Victorian: j rombinalions stooil linn to the consignment principle 011 •which their admirnble i <(iK'inc- niv ba-"d, or have they been j templed to s.oecnlate. anil bv so rloin"' lost caste with tlx- trade anil destroyed I lie nower for thev otherwise would possess? Ami vvliit 1 of Mr. Mtckic's siu'i'o-i with tlic outputs he j li:ik handled. tlio first pooling of New Zealand duirv produce a,id concentration for sale through select ; >d iim*»- - tin . der a Home representative'-* sunervision? Has the schem; l in the initial | stage proved the advantage claimed for it? Or, the best lest of the nient system having failed, arc NV.v Zealand producers 10 irra>'o tlie IT-{1 !n the hand. by *elliri«j outright to bayers who are «rMierally prepared to yive extreme values for our nroduce in order to make sire of handling it? Fortunately for the Association it has himll"d more cheese thin butter. Certainly, if many butter factories had refused the tempting offers made at the beiii'iiiiii',' «f the sonson ami had strongly supported the Association, the co-oper-ators' Home marketing scheme would have received a setback from <t would probably never have yeovered. The past season has lieen a disastrous j one for a eo?}sitfmne-it champion, for with anything like decent nrices offering this spring it is pretty well certain the b majority of factories' will sell. i Mr. Maekie'fi report will be awaited i with rery greaE interest.