BUTTER AND CHEESE.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 May 1917, Page 7

BUTTER AND CHEESE.

TEE SHORTAGE OF SHIPPING. I " ACTION BY NATIONAL DAIRY ASSOCIATION. During last week the executive of the National Dairy Association met in Wellington, in order to consider the problems arising from the shortage of shipping. It interviewed the National Efficiency Board in order to urge the importance of the transport question, and suggest means of securing adequate fr.-ezing space for produce required to be held. Later the executive interviewed the Acting-Prime Minister (Sir James Allen), and asked for information regarding the shipping prospects for the coming season, and as to whether the Government intended to purchase next season's cheese. Sir James Allen declared himself strongly in favor of doing all that was possible to maintain the primary industries without any curtailment. Tlie impuant matters raised by the deputation had already been considered by the Cabinit, and the whole subject had been referred to a combined board, consisting of members of the National Efficiency Board, Board of Trade, and Military Supplies Board, whose recommendations *o cope with the problem would receive the favorable consideration of the Cabinet. Further, the Minister assured the dentation that the Imperial authorities, through the Right Hon. W. F. Massey, hii'j been requested to cable, giving iniorm.'.tion, without delay, in regard to th? possibility of tonnage being available for shipment of present frozen j>onds what 'are the prospects in tjiis diitJiion for the 1917-18 season, and can tt - Government indicate whether it pror poses buying New Zealand cheese next ■ ea.-on

' r i.« figures collected by the National DairAssociation show that for the -veel; ending May 12 there were 140,000 i-rtias (.f cln-ese in grading stores in New j A.'s,land. This quantity should be redue- . rd bT shipments to about 100,009 cases an ins the next, three weeks. The South bland Association reports the following exports for. its year ending April 30:Butter, Cheese, boxes. crates. ' v iielton 25,770 16,68# Dunedin 18,000 25,153 Bluff ■ "The difficulties referred to last year in carrying on the business of tho association have, during the last 12 months, not in any paticular been modified,'' ;,ays the South Island Association, "The continually decreasing tonnage available for transport purposes and irregularities of departures have been a never-endin<> lource of additional anxiety and work. "Notwithstanding the uncertainty in connection with the oversea trade with the United Kingdom and neutral countries during the last tweUe months it is gratifying to record that indent orders for 1917-18 are far in excess of previous years, end constitute a record. "The application for the registration of new factories in the South Island is iroof of the growth 'of the industry During the yea- six applications have been granted. In making comparisons it is well to remember that all are not new concerns, but may in some instances be de. cribed as new subdivisions of old businesses." MR. HAROLD BEAUCHAMP'S VIEWS.

"If you look at our exports of meat," said Mr. Beauchnmp to a Times' reporter, "you will notice that the percentage of beef to the total is an insignificant decimal point. Now, to my mind our only hope lies in being able to impress the Imperial Government with the gravity of our present and futuro out - look caused through our inability to transport our produce—on which our natural wealth so largely depends—to oversea markets. This can he done only by 'he Home Government releasing several of the insulated steamers commandeered by them. It seems to me that by agreement with (he United States Government many of these could be replaced ' v Interned German ships that have been recently seized hy the Americans." Mr. Beauchamp wont on tp sp.y that raving to the scarcity of food la Great Britain a numb-r of Australasian traders had deflected their operations to the Argentine, because a ship could make at least two voyages to that country in the timo that was necessary to make a trip to Australia or New Zealand- That policy,, he understood, was decided upon before the United .States cast in their 'lot with the Allies, and looking to the fact that so substantial an addition had heeri mftdp to the Allies' mercantile mar!iip by the soiztire of German steamers, it would appear possible, without absolm elv abandoning the policy of the greatest good for the greatest number, to <;ive a little more consideration to Aus: tralasla Unless this were done the cutlook*for next season's products was grave in the extreme. In their frequent warning* of lafe the Aoting-Prime Minister and the Minister for Finance had s-ho'wn themselves to be fully alive to the situation.