A BUTTER COMBINE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13159, 4 July 1908, Page 11

A BUTTER COMBINE.

An important movement in regard to marketing of butter is now being considered by co-operativo companies in Australia and New Zealand, by means of which, it is claimed, some control will be obtained over the supply and demand of Australasian butter and choose in London. The arrivals of New Zealand butter in London will be ro regulated as to prevent the clashing of Australian and New Zealand dairy interests. A representative body will bo crcjtod in London, working on the linos of the Copenhagen Committee.

[This evidently relates to tho proposal dLyCU&jied at a meeting ol those engaged in the dairy industry held at Pahuorston North during the. National Dairy S.iow week. A acliomo was submitted by Mr Chns. Mackie-, who was sent iioino by a number of North Island dairy factories to represent their interests. The basis of this sc! :no is that tilio whole of the dairy piouuee of New Zealand should be. through the National l>airy Assoc, at ion, wr.o would control the- selling and fix prices at Homo, tho samo as the, Danes do. The representatives of three large dairy produce export firms in Victoria wero present at iLe meeting, whi'-h was not open to the Press, and from tho above cable niesza&c, wind is probably based, upon ;t----formation given by those gentlemen on cueir return, the idea is that New Zealand and Australia should ta-ke similar action in regard to the disposal of their dfriry produce. The proposal has stiii to be more fully discussed by the New Zealand i>airy Assoc ia lion, which ha 3 a branch in each island.] Ttie Chairman of tihe South Canterbury Dairy Company, in. conrersauon yesterday with a 'Press" reporter, taid .he heartily approved of the proposal to regulate the sale of N«w Zealand and Australian butter on tie London market by a Board representative of tie dairy factory interests. Mb had, be said* advocated this matter at more man one sitting of tho "National Dairy Association of .New. Zealand, but no concerted action had yot, been taken, ac -would not faTOiir New Zealand oiad \i*,traJia corr.-biiii.ng in tho matter, atNew Zealand produced better butter chan Australia; it commanded a higher pirice. or could be mado to do so, and lie thought tiiax, all the dairy coni)&nics in tbe Dominion should work ogethor so as to regulate- tiie sale otf .heir butter in London, and t&ue ob:«\in better prices. The Danes, he -aid, obtained &» per enrt. more that Sew Zealand got for her butter, iimply throu-gh tho Board of Control whicii site at Copenhagen and watcht* the London market. And there was no reason why New Zealand producers

should not obtain just as high a price as the Danes for their butter, if they went to -work im the right way. THE PRICE OF BUTTER. Enquiries made in Timaru yesterday concer-Ring the reason for tbo advance in tne prioe of buttec fix>m Is 3d to ».s id per lb, eiieitied the reply tha.t it kvauj owing to the scarcity of l>utt«r in uhe North. Island, whence Timaru draws its principal supplies.. There had boon a tairly large, reserve Ln the North Island, but a uutrket liad boou found lor thes in Souti Africa, wkii cho result tliat prices had gone up in the Dominion owing to diminished stocks.

Tiie reporter enquired if the local factory could not supply the requireiraants of Tira-aru in the matter of butter, and was tokl t<hat. it could not do so at talis time of the y«ar. There was not a pound <:i "Fiilbert" butter (tho South Canterbury Dairy Company's brand) on tdve market at «Mi.t, the nrilk going to the factory l>eing all required to meet tiho town su-pply.

Tho following is n statement of the Customs duti<« collect-id at the port of I,yttt\lton during tho past week:— Spirits £2518 C« 9d, cigars, cigan-ttvs and snuff £'i>GI C's lid, tobacco £535 Us 3:1, wine £142 11s lOd, Ixvr £'2 I 4s 4d, tea nil, coffee, cocoa and chocolate £50 Is 6rl, sucar, reolnssos and treacle nil, weight £G U 13s Id, a< l . valorem £2810 life oil. other duties £244 13s lM; total £7584 18s 3d.