THE BUTTER MARKET

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21647, 4 December 1935, Page 17

THE BUTTER MARKET

10 VBtf BDITOa 0* THE " pBESS,

Sir,—l read with interest a letter which appeared in your paper on November 29 signed by H. Bliss. The letter was on the price cutting of butter at pi'esent in Christchurch. Now I think that this is a scandalous act on the part of one or even more if I may venture to say of our factory manager?, I am sure that their only consideration in this is, self first and no thought for the producer, who has to work between 14 or 15 hours a day to produce one of the most essential articles of diet. I should think it high time that the Government nominee

on the Dairy Board, who is a factory manager, should hdlp the producer instead x>l .trying to keep .him down by selling this commodity at a lower rate than the other centres in this Dominjon. My proposal is to dispense, with this board, as-ii has been proved without a doubt that it is useless as it is constituted at present, and is nothing 'else than a burden: to the dairy farmer in its upkeep and he derives no benefits from it. Now with - reference to Mr Smith's footnote to Mr Bliss's letter asking him to state what amount the producers have lost in the last few years, well I think that, this is rather ridiculous, as Mr Smith is a manager of a factory and should be quite conversant with' the amount either of profit or loss derived. Now the loss of Id per lb would amount to £24.000 per an* num, not forgetting to add to this the* of the board. - The question is, why this price-cutting?— Yours, etc., W. (5, SHACKSL. , Springston, November 30, 1935. ["The Dairy Board's policy* which is supported practically unanimously by the industry, is. now in the hands of the board's solicitors for presentation in the form of a draft Order-in-Council," said Mr C. P. Agar, deputychairman' of the Dairy Produce Board, who was * asked • to, comment on- this letter. "The' board Realises' the need for-urgent actionatid hopes to institute its: local marketing scheme early in;, the New YeaiV'j