THE QUOTATIONS FOR BUTTER.

Evening Post, Volume LV, Issue 101, 30 April 1898, Page 6

THE QUOTATIONS FOR BUTTER.

0 "We have had occasion to complain several times that the London quotations for butter cabled to the Department of Agriculture did not correspond either with private messages or with the Press Association cables. The , Department of Agriculture, we understand, sent a copy of the Evening Post to Mr. 11. C. Cameron, the Produce Agent in London, who is responsible for the messages sent to the Department, with a request for an explanation. This Mr. Cameron gives at great length ; besides giving his own weekly quotations he tabulates the prices reported by four of the leading firms. Mr. Cameron says — " lam pleased to be able to say that when compared with the weekly circulars issued by the various London butter agents, and which are sent out regularly to the Agricultural Department at Wellington, the quotations cabled from this office will be found accurate and reliable." Notwithstanding what Mr. Cameron says, the fact remains that his cable messages were not in agreement with either private advices or Press Association wires. We first called attention to the differences in the messages in our commei'cial article published on the 15th December, again on the 21st December, and on the. 19th and 251h January. "Writing on the 19Lh January we said: — "If the cable messages sent by the Agent-General's office to the Department of Agriculture, and purporting to give the ruling prices for dairy produce, are to be of any value to the dairymen of New Zealand, it is essential that the intelligence conveyed should be exact." At the same time we called attention to the difference between the prices quoted in a private wire and the Departmental message. To this Mr. Cameron retorts, "It might be asked, Does the Evening Post accept that private cablegram as more reliable than the one sent officially?" "We did not pledge ourselves to its accuracy or reliability. All that we did was to call attention to the difference between the two messages. However, to show that our complaints were not without justification, we record below the various messages cabled by the Press Association and by the AgentGeneral :—: — December Bth. — Department's message-- " 104s. There is a good demand." December 10th. — Press Association — " Butter is slow of s-ile. Colonial at 9Ss to 102s ; a few choice parcels brought 1045." December 15 th. — Department's message — " 104s. Unchanged." December 17th. — Press Association — "Butter is dull, and is quoted from 98s to 100s, a few samples reaching 102s to 1045." December 22nd. — Department's message — " 100s. Falling." December 24th. — Press — "Butter is unchanged owing to the holidays." December 26th. — Private message — "London market overdone with butter, cold storing being resumed." December 30lli. — Press AssociationButter is slack and prices are unchanged." January 7th. — Press Association — " Butter is dull at 98s to 9Ss, a few boxes realising 100s." January 13th. — Department's message — " 98s. Dull." January 14th. — Press Association — " Australian butter is dull at 94s to 965, a few boxes realising 985." January loth. — Paragraph in Evening Post —" A private cable message from London gives last Thursday's quotation for colonial butter at. 9ss, as against 98s quoted in tho message to the Agricultural Department." January 20th. — Department's "message — "945. Palling." January 21st. — Press Association — " The muggy weather and heavy supplies are depressing the butter market. Colonial is quoted at 92s to 945 ; a few choice lots brought 965." If the above are carefully compared, it will be seen that scarcely in a single instanca does Mr. Cameron's message correspond with the others given, lie appears to have cabled tho extreme price in almost every case, and that is not a fair guide to our producers.