THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 1910. A DAIRY CONFERENCE WANTED.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10072, 20 August 1910, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 1910. A DAIRY CONFERENCE WANTED.

There is a movement on foot in the South Island fqr combination in the dairying industry, with a view to having one Selling Board for butter and cheese. This is a procedure that should extend to the whole Dominion. If ever a conference was wanted, it is one to deal with the fastdeveloping dairy industry. Whilst each factory has the control of its own output, buyers in the Home markets will have the trade at their mercy. For more than a quarter of i a century this want of combination i has been Mt, and thousands of | pounds have been lost to farmers through there being no cohesion. The Government grading system has j benn a great help to the industry, by bringing about uniformity in j quality for export. The carriage to j the shipping ports is concentrated in the ha-ids of the Government, and in this direction the industry is pro-

tected against exploitation. The dis-

tribution and financing are left to individual companies, and this is the weak spot, and accounts, in a great measure, for the fact that oqinil and inferior qualifies of produce than that of New Zealand, command in the British markets higher or equal values. Then there is the important question of finance. A Clearing House for New Zealand should he established in London. The bartering of commodities between Britain and this Dominion runs into millions, and New Zealand pays oxchange on the money she receives from London for the sale of hor j goods, and again pays exchange on the money she sends home for her purchases. There is co-operation amongst farmers in the production, and there should be co-operation amongst the factories for the disposal of what is produced. If the chairmen of all companies met in

conference a scheme could be evolved for the regulation of distribution of lairy products. Rules and regulations can be formed that would bind i\ factories to act in concert, and with a permanent Board of Control, sleeted from amongst the chairmen, li unit would be created powerful enough to command the highest consideration at the hands of the British market. Such a combine exists in the Dominion of Canada, and as a result, weekly sales of dairy produce take place locally, and all market risks falls on the buyers. The dairy export trade is going to b; New Zealand's mainstay in tlu near future, and we must, therefore deal with it on the most approvec lines. Canada is a fine example foi this country to follow. In the earlj stages of the industry experts were brought over from that Dominion to teach us the art of manufacture This country has arrived at its present enviable position as a consequence. Would it not be well foi the Minister for Agriculture to im port one or two Canadians to teacl us their business methods of marketing their produce ?