BUTTER AND CHEESE TRUST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 248, 13 July 1908, Page 3

BUTTER AND CHEESE TRUST.

1 / •-' THE UNFAVOURABLE SIDE. ' WARNINGS FROM AN EXPERT. The proposed combine of New Zealand factories for the direct marketing of produco is at present exciting -a'good deal of at-; terition, in dairying circles, and it is desirable that dairy farmers (whoso pockets the scheme really aflects) should have as much information as possible .to holp.tliQm to decide this question in tlio right direction. -They cannot :: .00--' that thoy; know., tho 'blackest-, as ■, woll as the brightest side.; Messrs.-:Osborne, and Wyctt, (tho' Australian advocated, of .the ■ scheme), and Mr. Mackio (the iondoii agent of tho, National Dairy Association). have already put ! forward.' the bright sida of the' :-. .case.. But it is- an-axiom, in. business that the bugs and earwigs lie, not on A tho polished' surfaco of a stono, but,underneath; it; And ' nobody yet.has turned up'the stone of this markoting combine«in order that tho farmers '. concerned . may,, see' what. is underneath. - For that roason, '.therefore,; we gladly publish some' hostilo criticisms made to a - Dominion representative lately by a gentleman who has been for many years past behind the scenes of tho butter trade .of; "Britain.• -. i' "It is a mad' Scheme," 1 , he 'declared, as he read Mr. .Mackie's report..: -; * Mad—why? • ■'- . '' '.. _ "For lots of , reasons. Absolutely impossible. Jt will hover answer;" V : , V;.- Mr. .Mackio is to distribute the No-*;Zea-land butter to the various firms. Is that .difficult?' , •• "Quite easy." But is he -going to changetho firm's-if they aro .not satisfactory ? Is . he going to/dole out tile Now.Zealand, butter as. it t comes .to hand -week ,by week with'tfut ..'making .'.prior' arrangements ? -If so, N*ew Zealind- butter,, will soon lose - its,.place on , tho London market." Why? ;■-' V /"TheV firms-'.won't; stand it. They'll cease .to'deal in ; New -Zealand abutter." "■ ■' -. Can they do without.it? '.' - • • "Certainly.-. There's .plenty of other butter j available, .and if ' you. annoy .the, British ; •;• (buttor •• trade, those, ■ other butters will gain ; ; such ' increased , demand among them ■ that ; their production will bo stimulated, and New ;Zealand.; blither. .will - fall. into ■ disrepute and fetch lower prices'." " : Some: of our 'butter would be outside the Combine?. . .' •" Probably that , .would; be affected also. .1 have heard-''that;-it;' is. proposed to' select ; four British' firm's and distribute all the but- ; . ter to them, in order to give Mr. Mackie a ' grip; oyer them,., so' to. spe'at;.'. That would .. bea-huge failure. To expect.four firms successfully;; to; distribute-butter that is now ; distributed by-twenty firms -is to exhibit the ; profoundest ignorance of the customs of - tlio British : butter trade. The sixteen- firms 'who ;;' were ' omitted would / instantly substitute ■ butr--ter from other sources—Australia,'Argentine, : . Siberia, -even; Irish ■ butter 'from store—and •eighty per cent.,'of. the consumers 'who had previously used New, Zealand butter would suddonly use' butter from othor -countries : without, being,:a\\;aro of-the change. The four selected agents, would consequently bo .left, witha tremendous surplus oil".their vhands. : -Do.• they..expect to got straight to the,'retailer?-.!-It,can't .be done': 1 It takes - very-many, years,to establish, the connections : pf. a wholesale warehouse. The conservatism , of'Britishers,''.aboutv'which-.ire- sometimes . speak' in■; New; Zealand, : is;, a' very'; powerful . factor, and 'yet Mr. Mackie and his' 'Australian friends are' inviting tho. New Zealand - dairy farmers to, blimp their heads against this l brick-wall conservatism. 'There';are'2o , .'importers in London ,of New '; Zealand, butter, and. there are abqut fiOOO ivholesale men • and 70,000 retailers, including the monopolist , retailers, with' many.^shops.. ' The trado of ■ the British. grocers depends; also largely on credit, And for that reason, too, : they : could not be enticed away/from their present whole- ;. sale;'houses. R.You can .safely- tell;,tho. dairy; farmers;that"this, schemp,'-;if it proposes what , it- seemsito p'roposo, would ■pfoyo"a; ; big'.costly failure. ; New Zealand butter has a favour-; able position in the British markets, and you cannot afford spoil .tliat position." .' . ' . Have not other countries' adopted this- form of co-operation successfully?—the'Australian combines, for instance? . ' ' . "Facts aro all_ against; it. In .spite of the' Australian combines; seyenty-fivo per cent.' of the;'. Australian factories still - consign 1 direct, . and tho biggest butter factory, in the world— - Byron Bay, in New South Wales—whose output of butter'(sooo tons per annum) .is: equal to one-third-.of the wliolo of tho output.of Zealand,, consigns direct.The "Danes also ship on_ consignment,' and trust absolutely to the British'firms.- 'The biggest co-opera-tive association in Siberia consigns direct.": MASTERTON A; AND P. ASSOCIATION. MONTHLY MEETING. Tho; monthly meeting of the Association was held •at Mastorton on Saturday. The prosident, Mr., J. D. Cruickshank, occupied ' ..the' chair,'and there-was a small attendance •of members. ' v ■ : r Mr; J. C. Lane, secretary of,the New Zealand Jersey -Breeders'. Association, forwarded i' an official list of the jersey.judges in connec-i ' tibn; with; forthcoming' shows.'.;. The. : names' • and addresses werei 'as. folloiv.:—Messrs.. W!' H. Booth, ;Middle Run, Carterton; - A. Buchanan/ .Palmeraton North; Richard FConwall, New Plymouth; C. Day, Tamakere; Waikato; E., Eagle, Carterton; G. Gould. Christchurch ; 0. Goulter, Hawkesbury, . Blenheim;:'J. G. Harkness,' Wellington; Paul. . Hunter, Porangahau; -S. R. , Lancaster, • Porangahau: J. .. A. M'Crea,' Palmerston North; E. ;D, M'Lenn'an, Papakura, Auckland ; W.' M. Tapp, Onehung.i; H. E. •B. Watson, Tai ,Tapu, Christchurch..' - ' ; Messrs. J. and D. M'Gregor, sen., waited upon the meeting in 'support of an: applica-, tion for the use of the snbwground free'for a' v/eek at Christmas for the -purpose of the ' Presbyterian isumme'r school; On 'the-motion' ' of. Mr; ;W. ' Perry, it Was ■ ('.ccided to grant t-he . Tequ'est" on .the -usual conditions. , ' r It. was decided to 'changc thc 'dato of the ' annual meeting to Thursday, July 30, as tho time; for -preparing ' tho 'ballot . papers,- etc., ; . was > too short to permit of'.the-meeting -being held-on 'the .last Saturday iu 'the month, as' 'intended.".:;;' -,'

The unaudited balance-sheet submitted for tho year ended June 30,\1905, showed receipts £2849 lis. lOd.y expenditure' £2657:135. sd. The profits for tho year were shown to bo £216 185.?,6d.';! The : overdraft was'■■ set" down at £48j,,75. : .9d.-; total assets, £6550 15s. 3d.; liabilities,"£33Bo Bs. lid.,; balance of. assets over liabilities;' . £3170 6s. 4d.. Mr. Summerell moved the adoption iof the' balance-sheet, and .commented,'on, the satisfactory - position disclosed.. >The.,motion was carried; :: Tho .following new, members were elected: — .Messrs. F..;0.- H;. Cotter, SI.: J. H. Jackson, H. C. Swan, H. B.' Mowbray, L. Cowan, W. Shute, M.-iKprms,;;J. Foss, H; H. Pavitt, J.: Bhnkhorrie, H.: Boyle, G. Cutler, C. G. Monro, J. Rod, A. B. AVood, C. Dickenson, L:-Eyke,' H. A. Jones, W. C. Coulter, R. Hosking,, E. 0. Sullivan, H. Trevor, 0. Heffernan, .R. Hole, R. Smith, and F.Evans. Thb following resigned membership:— Messrs., J. Gillies, W. Hubbard, H. M'Manaway,' J. .C. Scott, G. Watson. - The .chairman stated that tho following gentlemen had consented to be nominated to the general committee as representatives of. South AVairarana A. Matthews, R. Smith, W. M'Master, 0. Donald, TV. E. Bidwill,' and A..Donald. The announcement; was received with general satisfaction. It ■ was'resolved .-to invite applications for the position' of . caretaker, at the Sohvay grounds, ' , ' . . It was resolved to'call, in all lists for subscriptions tO: Sol way. showgrounds purchase fund before tho annual mooting. Mr. Hugh Afnrrison announced his intention of donating £59 to the fund, and Messrs. Percy J3ros. £10.- It was resolved, on. Mr. Pilmer's suggestion, that business people ,of M.istertonnot member's of' the Association should be approached and asked to hecomo members. At a- subsequent ' special meeting the amended rules were ".confirmed. Messrs. J. •B; Emmctt, A.'.'E.'Green,-E. Pullen, .and G. Wi Seller, were-appointed scrutineers for tlie ballot of.the general committee -■ •