CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1922, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

ADVERTISING PRODUCE. (To the Editor.) Sir, —As the subject of better marketing dairy products is still baffling the brains of our leading men of New Zealand to-day, just allow a returned soldier settler to air his views on the above subject. The reason why our marketing schemes have been tliown out is,’because the different propositions are too cumbersome and failed to meet the requirements of the whole of the dairying industry of New Zealand. Tooley Street have too much power over our own perishable products. They are to establish their own markets, and as long as the pftducers of New Zealand fail to take an interest in what becomes of our butter and cheese after it leaves “God’s own country.” so long will we have tbe dissatisfaction that exists here to-day. Now in England, Scotland, and Wales we have forty counties, with a total population of about forty millions. Can we, the producers, say that our products reach the consumers in half those counties at the present time? And do we care? I do. because if we can create a demand right through Great Britain the demand win cause a scarcity of our butter and die ' n . which should put a premium on the produce. Can you tell me of any business that has made a failure by advertising, and making the products become a household word of the country? This is where the producers o-f this country are making a gigantic failure. Last year our buttter and cheese exports reached £16.000,000. What would an American millionaire do if he handled produce of the same value? Would that Yankee be satisfied if his products vanished when it reached the hands of the commission agents’ I say no! That American would spend £500,000 per year, with the view of increasing the demand, and improving the vfilue of his products by 25 per cent. The producers of all perishable products for export, have one gigantic business, and it should be a national proposition of Now Zealand to place advertisements on all railwav stations, buses, and trams in Great Britain, such as: “Bnv New Zealand butter and cheese, second to none:” “Taste our honev;” “Try our beef and mutton, etc.’’ Make the words of New Zealand hum in everv household in every country. Toolev Street would then be dancing to the tune of supply, and our demand, not the supply and their demand.

My proposition for financing a scheme for putting our dairy produce on a better footing is to put an export tax* on butter and cheese to be used for the sole purpose of advertising. I trust that some of our budding politicians will turn their efforts to improving the demand of our products, and stop crying stinking fish thus causing depression amongst our “soldier settlers.” bv agitating for revolution. T shall then begin to think that the gentlemen will begin to earn their salaries. Let oil those interested give vent to their opinions on the suggestion in this letter. —T am. etc.. T. E. LARKING. Okato, August 20.