TOO MUCH BUTTER.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18140, 3 October 1930, Page 9

TOO MUCH BUTTER.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —At last Mr Goodfellow ha; I awakened to the fact that there is ai ! over-productitn of dairy produce. A the annual meeting of the New Zealam Co-operative Dairy Company he stated that over-production was not the rea: cause of low prioes. Now in to-night': issue of the Waikato Times he i.quoted as saying: “There is ever prospect of lower prices owing to tin economic position, but what make I matters really serious is the rapid], increasing quantities of dairy produci I going into the United Kingdom. “WeU sir, I have been called a fool and ; pessimist for saying this self sam thing for two years past. How an. average intelligence could not see thi; prices crisis coming is beyond me. I is all very well to say there are mil lions of potential consumers who badl: need our butter and cheese but as the.' are too poor to buy it, why cater fc that class? The dairy farmer is no a charitable institution of course. M Goodfellow Is hoping for British pre ference. We all hope so, but I think the last thing England will tax 1s foot from foreign sources. Now, sir, wh not introduce the Australian Patterson scheme into New Zealand and so partly alleviate the position. Would any decent New Zealander begrudge tin farmer, say Is 9d for the butter con sumed in this country? I have heart quite a number of business men say “ I wish my wife had to pay tw< shillings a pound for butter.” Why d; they say that? Simply because at business men they know- that unles.the dairy farmer prospers they themselves cannot prosper. Anyhow thi town man fixes his charges to the farmer, so why complain? The serious position of the primary produce: Is scarcely realised yet. Butter wil probably get to 10d and cheese to a shilling and a moratorium over farn lands will be necessary to save a dis aster of magnitude. I greatly blam the heads of the dairy industry fo constantly urging the farmer to pro duce more. Every farm journal, ever, politician and many city men urge production as the cure, and the poo. ! farmer responds and pays up to £2 I for dairy cows, orders large quantilie of manure, works longer hours, onl, to find himself worse off than eve. Verily “ whom the Gods wish to des troy they first make mad.” When ther is a ghost of a chance of a payabimarket it will be time enough -to urg more production. In the meantime with wearying regularity the cable grams „ state that “ owing to largi stocks in store and afloat, no improve ment in prices can, be looked for.—l am, etc., W. P. KENAH. Hautapu, October 1, 1930.