N.Z. BUTTER IN CANADA.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 306, 26 December 1924, Page 7

N.Z. BUTTER IN CANADA.

■ ■ ' ONTARIO WORRIED. J SUPERIORITY OF THE IMPORT. I iFrom Our Own Correspondent.) ! VANCOUVER, December 3. Some of the Canalian dairymen are somewhat worried anent the growing success of New Zealand butter iuiporta.tions in Eastern Canada, and they fear the domestic trade will be materially affected by the threat of further large shipments which are expeted in the Canadian provinces shortly from the Antipodes. The Canadian operators freely admit the superiority of tbe New Zealand article and its increasing favour with the consuming public, but they do not the consuming public, but they do not view the future of the butter business in Canada with any i measure of optimism, judging by repeated wails of dissatisfaction heard in the columns of some of the daily I papers in Eastern Canada. In a word, the average Canadian dairyman is being reminded that nothing less than "economic suicide" is staring him in the face, consequent upon the commencement of the annual winter importation of New Zealand butter. A letter, prominently displayed on the editorial page of the Montreal "Daily Star of November 21st, and captioned "lvconomic Suicide," from the | pen of Mr. P. C. Armstrong, of Sweetsburg, Quebec, says: —"The creamery operators in tbe eastern townships are advising tbe farmers who Gupply them that owing to the commencement of the annual winter importation of New Zealand butter tho price of butterfat will drop. As a result , the farmers of this area will assuredly buy less of the products of our factories, and- this will accentuate unemployment. Many farmers, now ut the end of their resources, will finally abandon the struggle, and move in desperation to the city or to the United States. Politically, the free traders— whose principles applied to the import of foodstuffs which we should produce in Canada, have brought this absurd tragedy to pass —will now capitalise the result by explaining to the farmer that he is being exploited by the city with its protected industry, and that, since he is ruined, he should bring the city town in ruins, too. On the whole, when one regards a country incalculably rich in mineral and soil wealth importing its food and its fuel, one is irresistibly driven to the conclusion that its inhabitants are possessed of a mania for economic suicide.'' Where Antipodes Scores. Some of the American newspapers. Which have been discussing the subject of New Zealand and Australian butter finding it- way into the United States. , are disposed to make much of the indis. . putablc advantage possessed by the countries under the Southern Cross climatically, and reference is made to . the fact that dairying conditions are more favourable than in the United \ States or Canada, where bard winters [ are experienced in some months of the ' year. Furthermore, the. fact that stock grazes all the year round in Australia [\s another significant point strongly emphasised by the American and ! Canadian commentators on the subject of the "manace" of Antipodean butter , dominating the prices on the North American continent shortly. The""Lo\vell Courier Citizen," in alluding to the controversy, said in a recent , issue: "A prospect of increased importations of butter from Australia. New ,' Zealand and the Argentine is indicated in a report of the United States Depart- ! ment of Agriculture on dairy conditions : throughout the world. That is an an- ' nouncement that directly concerns New ' England. Simple people among us were 1 surprised when some months ago shipments of New Zealand butter were ' landed in Boston. More, butter, we now ! learn, is likely to come from the same r far distant source, for the facilities for ; carrying on this overseas trade are fast

being developed. The advantages of the Australasian farmers are as previously stated. Their stock grazes in the open all the year through. They have no such winters as tbe agriculturists of Northern New England and Wisconsin must contend against. They have already built up a huge European business via the refrigerator ships." At the Belleville district annua! gathering of Ontario dairymen. Mr. John Elliott, manager of the Standard Bank of Belleville, speaking of the cheese industry and, overseas trade, said he had it on good authority that the best Canadian cheese was superior in quality to that made in New Zealand, and that if all cheese exported was of the quality of that sent out from the Belleville district Canada would control the British market. 'Canadians," he declared, "taught the New Zealanders how to make cheese." About three hundred Canadian dairymen were present at this gathering, as well as many provincial officials of Ontario.