BUTTER CONTRACTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 178, 22 April 1908, Page 2

BUTTER CONTRACTS.

MR. CAMERON'S REPORT. Mr. H. C. Cameron, the Now Zealand Produce Commissioner in London, has been so much misrepresented lately concerning his recent report. as to the shortage of butter shipments to England that we think it necessary to submit to our readers the true facts. On February 19, Mr. Cameron' cabled to Sir Joseph Ward as follows:— ■ "Have received ■complaints that factories are not shipping amounts of butter contracted for: Buyers under impression quantities being diverted on nocount rise in prices. What cause is'there for decrease?" To this Sir Joseph Ward replied:— • "Small supplies going forward on account dry weather throughout Dominion. There is no ground for complaints of butter being diverted." After sending tho cablegram, Mr. Camoi-on mailed a. report to his chief in the Department of Industries. and Commerce, in which ho said "I greatly regret having to report that serious, charges were made to us" ! ' (Mr. Cameron and Mr. Cuddie, Chief Dairy Commissioner) "by several merchants, concerning the manner ill which contracts entered into with them for tho : salo of New Zealand factory outputs of ■ butter had booil broken. There is a strong-feeling that owing to the unex- ■ pectea high price ,that has been ruling this season for butter shippers have been .diverting part of the factory outputs, and have been either Celling a quantity locally in the Dominion or shipping -it. Instances were given in which tho quantity of butter delivered to tlie purchaser here v-'as not half that , guaranteed.' Naturally merchants who had made contracts for a certain supply had entered into business engagements'at/this end on the estimate of tho quantity arranged for, and they were: being held to such bargains as tliey -had made. Tho .merchants, howwer; not: having • received the' stipulated quantity, cannot supplv their customers, with- the result, that while, they have_ to satisfy their agree- * / ments: with their, local customers they ' 7 ; can get no redress from the shippers in . the Dominion.. The complaints, 'for which there appears to be good ground, • are far too general, 'and tho fact is do-- . ' "tg .a deal of injury'to tho good name of the dairy produce trade of New Zealand, owing ,to the suspicion that is cast - , on the .business morality of . those'en'gaged in it. .' No Satisfactory reason can-, be assigned for the great deficit in the quantity of the butter delivered, from' that contracted for. It is known that tho. season has not_ been so unusually dry as to account for it, and no information has been received that the quantity produced in; those factories making butter has shown, any, serious depline. ' Naturally, therefore; strong suspicion exists, in the .. minds of merchants,, who have purchased forward, that they are not receiving fair treatment. Tho complaints have been so numerous and serious that, as instructed by you,'a cablegram has been dispatched to : the' Prime Minister, informin'g . him of; the charges made, and !. . asking the reason for'the deficiency in: .>. the supply., It is hoped that the reply, will bo an' explanation satisfactory to; / tho ; purchasers:'V : ''-" It, will..be;observed;• thafc>..:!Mr.-.Cameron' ■ makes no; .charges against New Zealand shippers, but. merely informs "his chief, of ' complaints which are reaching him froni merchants, arid of which lie lias no : information to criablo him to give satisfactory/explana-. . tiohs. .The- report : willbe admitted . by. all fair-minded people, to: be a - very proper one - for Mr. Cameron to'.,send. ; It sliows that he is doing the very' work for which lie is kept in England.. Tho fact that the shortage lias ■been greater than was justified: by tlie information which has been sent home to him niay have shown neglect on the part of I tho - Departmental officials in New'r Zealand, but it. certainly _ does . not .' sliow any neglect or indiscretion ' on Mr. Ca'mero.Vs , part. .: If' Jt ■ shows: anything' in- this, direction it . shows .that he. was apparently left with' very scaiity information as to the season here,;and lie.wo'uld : have been , guilty /of a great neglefct of duty' if he had failed to make a proper report of the complaints tliat the iiiade: to liim. That report was writ-ten in clear terms, and was one that,-we are sure, must have been , read with much interest by those, iii the dairy industry in this country. Vet Mr. Cameron has been wildly attacked in certain quarters; for having 1 failed to keep in touch with the. Agricultural. with which, as a matter of fact, he'has no official' . connection; with having " allowed himself to , be.made a tool of-the trade "at Home; with' having made a " chargo of fraudulent" trading against the do-operative dairy companies of the Dominion." ■', "■■'■' It is difficult to-'conceive, that any intelligent, person could so misread Mi*. Cameron's, report as to make these deductions from it and we are confident that our dairy farmers/ who have never shown, any lack of • British fair-play, will only need to read the extract from Mr.. Cameron's report here given— which is the only portion referring to,'the. ■ short' shipments—to bo proof against'any further misrepresentation, from those Who evidently have _ sohie' motives, for. wishing .to bias them against 1 Mr. Cameron. [As 1 Mr.', Cuddie-.-was--'with Mr. Cameron at the time, and is apparently a party; to tho report,, ive may- anticipate that he will be quite , able to justify it when lie returns from his tour.] •