PRIMARY PRODUCTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 January 1921, Page 8

PRIMARY PRODUCTS.

THS ENGLISH MARKETS. URGENT NEED FOR PROPAGANDA WORK. -Addressing a meeting of the Dominion executive of the Farmers’ Union on Tuesday, Mr. T. C. Brash (assistant secretary of the National Dairy Association), who returned from England recently, said that at Home the meat, wool and dairying interests were “pushing their own- ('barrows-” individually. It was highly desirable that all the producing interests should come together in their general interests. Canada had got a better deal than New Zealand, because it had dealt with the people on the other side direct over the table, instead of from Government to Government. Though we were small here, we could do well if united. He was at Home when our telescoped mutton was arriving. It was much in disfavor as compared with Argentine chilled beef. The on€ man at Smithfield who was selling it got rid of it by allowing his customers to have a certain quantity of Argentine beef on condition they took certain amount of New Zealand mutton.

The question of advertising had to be faced and it might be a good idea if ail the interests concerned subscribed money to get advertising done by the best man in England. We had not yet felt the need of this, but there was coming a time of keen competition. As to distribution, they must all pull together if they were going to do any good for themselves. He d'id not think that margarine would ever take the place of good butter, and as wages were high he did not think food prices would go very low. London, as an instance, was so big that 99 per cent, of the people would never hear of certain forms of advertising. What was required more than anything, was propaganda. He considered it wrong to control the price of butter sold in New Zealand. Mr. Brash was thanked for his address, and it was resolved: —“That this executive considers that the principle of governing the butter subsidy is economically wrong that the policy of the Government after March 31st should, be the abolition of all control in respect to the prices of primary products.”