BUTTERED BY TOURISTS

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 56, 7 March 1929, Page 10

BUTTERED BY TOURISTS

BAD FOR BUTTER-MAKERS. FAULTS IN DAIRY PRODUCE. QUALITY SLUMPING. Support of the timely criticism of New Zealand dairy produce by Sir Thomas Clemtent, the London merchant, -was given by Mr. F. J. Nathan when he ad dressed the dairy factory managers' conference yesterday afternoon. He told the members that New Zealand produce was not the best in the world. Tourists came back from the Old Country and talked in the newspapers about the super-excellence of New Zealand butter and cheese, often describ ing them as the best in the world. They were not. and that could be seen when one compared the prices of Canadian cheese and Danish butter with those obtained for the New Zealand articles. Too little knowledge of the overseas requirements was possessed by the dairy division of the Department of Agriculture. He strongly advised that Mr. Ross, a London official of the Department, be sent back to New Zealand to cive addresses on "the palate of the British consumer." and that New Zealand graders should be sent Home to see. exactly the sort of article the British ■onsunier wanted. Mr. Nathan urged the need for more scientific research work in New Zealand. There was strong competition from other countries, and New Zealand manufacturers should not only not relax their efforts for perfection, but should take furthei *teps towards makinjr sure they were turning out the best possible 'article, whether butter or cheese. They must rot be lulled into a sense of false security by the statements of tourists; thev must not <ret swelled heads. Some helpful remarks about the do feet-; in New Zealand ehe«»«e were made bv Mr. Nathan. He said the complaint* •tbout openness were deserved. He wa.' aware that sometimes a manager who wi-hed to reject a poor milk supply ws~ overruled hy tno directorate. The result was a low grade cheese which did tht> ; r-dustry harm. They must do every-. thing to keep up the otherwise the market would suffer, and New Zealand could never afford to run that risk. how much she depended upon her dairy produce.