Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1911. CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10167, 17 February 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1911. CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING.

His Excellency the Governor, who is President of one of the largest cooperative institutions in the SouthWest of England, addressed himself very pointedly on uie question of cooperation, in the course of his practical speech at the Master ton Show on Wednesday last. He admitted that there had been an elemenit of co-operation among the farmers of New, Zealand in the production of butter and cheese; but this co-oper-ation is not carried to the lengths ithat it is in England. The condition of the dairy -industry in New. Zealand at the present time suggests the importance of extending the cooperative principle to marketing. It is an extraordinary (thing that Danish butter -should occupy so much stronger a position in the London market than New Zealand. In his report on the course of the markets last year Mr Cameron, the Produce Commissioner, said: 'T feel disappointed thait the .margin between New Zealand and Danish should have been.so wide as it has been—• a difference of 8s per hundredweight separating them. A few years ago thv prices approximated 1 much more closely, and taking quality with quality there does not appear to me te be proper justification for the margin being now widened. The margin

is, however, less than it was last year, when owing to the excessive moisture scare considerable injury was occasioned to the sale. There is, therefore, every inducement to those interested in the distribution of New Zealand butter in this "country to take urgent 'Steps to recover the ground that has been unfortunately lost." The position to-day. is much worse tha a it was when Mr Cameron wrote. The difference in the price obtained for New Zealand and Danish butter is nearer 14s than 8s per cwt. What is the cause of thvj difference? It cannot be that our butter is deteriorating in value, or that the Danish is materially improving. The sole reason, apparently, is that the Danes have a better system of marketing than ourselves, i The position of affairs is by no means satisfactory. The co-operative principle should be extended as quickly as possible, so that our produce will attain that position in the London market which its undoubted quality deserves.