DOUBTFUL EGGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 53, 2 March 1916, Page 11

DOUBTFUL EGGS.

AHD TBE &TJCKL&3TD PRICES. PLAINT OF IHE POULTRY-KEEPERS. 'At the request of the Auckland Foultrvkeepers Association, Mr D. Brown, Government poultry expert, took the platform in Trades' Hall on Wednesday, and exhorted an audience of aboui 100 poultrykeepers to look after their rights hy marketing their produce in' sueJi manner that the public might 16arn to know wlifin "eggs Is eggs," and a trustworthy form uf food stuff, as against the fresh-egg form of American emetic that surrounds the. breakfast table with. an odour of suspicion. Mr Brown took for Ms text a statement that in Auckland the price of eggs was subject to restrictive interference, which fixed the eotr quotations on the basis of the price of the imported article, with the result that grocers and others fixed their buyjniT pri.es. on the paper quotations, _o based, and the poultrykeepers. for fresh gen. and at a time wheu wheat was abnormally dear, had a cheap market created for them. That indicated, said Jlr Brown, that where there was no organisation among the poultrykeepers, ■under proper control and management, and no consideration given to the quality of the eggs, there was going to be continuous lluctuatiou in prices throughout the year ™ t ' le Auckland province. Most people in the country took the paper prices as a guide as to what they ■were going to get for their eggs. That ■was the weak point of the poultry industry here. A man producing absolutely fresh eggs had to sell in a market where the price was fixed by a doubtful article- If poultrykeepers would loyally support an "egg-circle they would change that condition of affairs. The object of an egg circle was not to form a trust of any kind, but to give tb the consumer a -uaranteed antide. bearing the stamp of "trustworthiness, and to get from the consumer, in turn, the full market value of the article. If the poultrykeepers loTally supported the egg circle they conld dictate to the buyers, instead jf having to take just what the buyers liked, to give them. In Wellington there wis an organisation which was really a combination of egg circles. It had raised the price of fresh eggs all along the line, and the Auckland poultrykeepers could do the same, it had not been an uncommon thing in Wellington this, last .tew months to see quoted in the papers, "eggs 1/1 a dozen," and to find the poultrykeepers at the same time getting from 1/4 up to as high as 1/7. Just tine other day eggs were quoted in the papers at 1/3, and the poultry industries were getting 1/7. That was the fruits of organisation. If the poultrykeepers of Auckland could save a loss of 2d to 3d per dozen by organisation, they would not then have anything to grumble about. It was not any form of trust to make the consumer pay more for eggs than they were worth, but an organisation to prevent people who were not consumers exploiting the produce.s. He .had noticed in-the paper the other day that the prices of eggs were, falling because there was an over-supply of eggs in New Zealand at the present time. The Ripply did not exceed the demand iir'Ncw 2-aland at all. Last winter there were imported into New Zealand 86,973 dozen eggsrin. the sheH, 75981b of desiccated whites of eggs', and" 26,1761b of liquid egg yokes. -In the.summer time the price of eggs was lOd or lid a dozen, and, later on, in the winter, if there are no importations, the price would go up to 2/, probaxaly in Wellington to 2/6 or 2/9. But 2/6 and 2/0 was no good; not only did it indicate that the poultrykeepers were getting-, few eggs, but it ■was also more than consumers could afford to pay. The object of an egg circle was to prevent such unfair extremes, and to secure a vniform fair price throughout the year. Every one knew that the large cheques were received in the summer time when the production was greatest, and what they wanted to. do was to increase the sum-mer-prices for the flush season. Poultrykeepers in the country were strongly advised before accepting the paper quotations to ring up, or otherwise communimate with the secretary of the egg circle and see what he is getting. Those who entered the egg circle were entreated to do so in the true spirit of co-operation, and to bear with the early troubles ot the organisation. In Wellington the members - were _h__cgei.fiv.e- per. cent-for handling and expenses. Then some of the big grocers and merchants approached some of the members and offered to pay them what they were getting through the Association from the gTocers and others that bought from the Association's agents, and some members did business iv order to save the live per cent. They didn't consider that the Poultry. Industries Association had been the. means of getting them 2d or 3d more a dozen for their eggs, but considered only the saving of the five per cent. Mr Brown requested Auckland poultrykeepers not to send eggs to Wellington when prices there were high, to compete against the poultry industries there, but, if they exported to Wellington, to sell through the poultry industries' agent. It was the duty ot every poultryman to do his best to prevent the importation of eggs to Sew Zealand. Once poultrykeepers organised properly throughout the country, they would not only have uniform prices, but in a very short time New Zealand would he exporting eggs instead of importing. But they could not work up to that position of a good export trade without cooperation and centralisation. The time was not yet ripe for any large 00-opera-tivc concerns, for that required capital, which the poultrykeepers could not yet supply; but by working up a step at a time by the organisation of egg circles, they -.yo-id come Lo that.