HUGE BUTTER TRUST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 241, 4 July 1908, Page 3

HUGE BUTTER TRUST.

NEW ZEALAND TO PARTICIPATE. ~ TO CONTROL SUPPLIES. r A Press 'Association cablegram from Melbourne states : that an important movement >with regard to tho marketing of butter is' now., being •. considered by cooperative companies in Australia and New Zealand* by means of:which it is claimed that some control will be obtained over the supply and demand of Australasian butter snd cheeso in London.,.- Tho arrival of New Zealand 'butter •, in London wjll' bo so regulated ' as to prevent the clashing .of Australian and New: Zealand dairy interests. A representative body will bo',created in London, working on. tho lines of the-Copenhagen committee.' ' . .

The Copenhagen committee consists of rc-' presentatives of all/the. Danish butter producers; -It holds regular meetings, and fixes the wholesale prico at which Danish butter shall bo offered for sale* in London. An Australasian combine could co-operate, with this committee,- and together they could: control tjie bulk of the'.world's.butter'.'. . .; Messrs. . Osborne, and, Wvett, two Yictbrianv recently visited New -Zealand and addressed farmers at the National Dairy Show at' Palraerstori . North' with the ;object of getting New Zealanders to join in tho proposed Australasian trust. The ehief objects of'the movement are to fix prices and save expenses, and tho desire is to all-Australasia in, the-combination in order to' secure the maximum of power in dealing with, the markets. The movement aims to embrace both the foreign and the local mar- " 'In Victoria there are. three groups of factories already in combination, and each group employs an agent in London, who,;with tho other • two Victorian /agents, fixes prices. " Messrs. Osborne and;Wyett' represent two of •these groups.'- ' Their agents :in. London naturally find tnoir power to control prices weakened 'by tho fact that Now Zealand butter, ' *hich:is:of much superior, quality, ;is,not, in i {heTing; and'it,is obviously to their.interests " to force New. Zealand to federate','with/them. Although "federation" is not an attractive vord to the ears of New Zealanders, it-is un('erstood that somo'of those at the meeting 'i;- I'almerston North wero led by tho. arguments put before them,to regard it with some Vour. 'iThat meeting Was convened /by the ' .itional Dairy Association (of New Zealand), __ ,d a long detailed scheme strongly fayour-Vt-n: a' marketing combine; was read from the ■ vsociation's London 1 . agont, Mr. Mackie. -.nally, printed'copies, of the scheme were ■tributcd, and a-further meeting will be "ij to deal with the matter..