Evening Post.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 148, 23 June 1904, Page 4

Evening Post.

THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1901. THE EXPORT OF DAfRY PRODUCE. The winter shojv which, is now concluding at Palmerslon Noith has turned out to be notable in a wider sense than as an exhibition of the high state of efficiency which the dairying industry has reached in tho last few years. Apart from its excellence us a show pure and simple, tho fixture served ils most useful puipoho in bringing together in conference tho hiernrchs of the industry, to discuss the economic side of tho export tiade and to listen to papers dealing with matters of vital importance to the proper internal mauugement of dairy farms and factoiTes. In its deliberations the .National Dairy Association deult with many subjects, and throughout allowed a keen apprehension of the need for enre in still fuither developing un industry of national moment. Ono of the most important questions discussed concerned tho improvement of the control and distribution of dairy produeo in tho markets of Ureab Britain, and the matter has been left in tho hands of a committee, which is to foimulate a scheme to place before the factory owners. During the discussion two aehemes were placed before tho members of the Association, which diil'er very considerably in detail, but which have this much in common— that they both aim at the removal of the defects in our present System of invading tho Home markets. The members of tho Association agreed that there was no satisfactory reason why Danish butter should command from 16s to 16s per cwt more than tho New Zealand article, and this largo disparity in prices was laid at tho door of the present method of despatching fcuttcr to a largo number of agents, over whom there is no control, and who, therefore, are able, nnd willing in their own interests, to manipulate the marEots to the detriment oi the producers. As a remedy for this tho Executive of the Association pioposed a plan, the nijtju features of which are thnt tho Association should be tho medium of exchango between buyer and tailor, that factories joining tho combine .should bo free to conngn or sell at a. fixed price, and that the Association should invite offers from linns iv Great Britain to do business on tho lines of tho scheme, which makes various piopooitions regarding rebates, and which suggests that in tho caso of consignment tho commission should not exceed 3^ per cent. The main feature of tho other schema w.u» that, tho Association having been formed inlo a legally qualified body for tho export and sale of produce, producers "should be invited lo join on tho understanding thnt they would deal only •with those firms or individuals who would join a proposed British -Now Zealand Dairy Association, loaned for the purpose of regulating trade, It wns also proposed t hub an ornco should bo opened in London, in charge of a thoioughly quaJticd man, to act as the New Zealand Association's agent, and that the British Association should appoint four members u> act with tho agent as an executive' tc fix the minimum telling price of New Zealand butter. The Executive's proposals hardly appear to offer anything much better than obtains at present, inasmuch as it leaves tho London end almost as free from control as before, and it is nob likely to induce British linns to exercise a philanthropic spirit and give up tho profits which it is generally assumed they are making, inasmuch as tho proper profits do not reach tho producer, and they must go somewhere. The other plan has this much to recommend it, that it aims at control at both ends of the line. If tho difference of 15s or lbs per cwfc between Danish ui)d colonial butter is 10s or 11s greater than it ought to be, it is quite apparent that if proper control and distribution are secured, together wilh a determination to prevent the "bearing" of the market at Home, there is enough margin of further profit, both for the producers and the British firms, to induce the latter to p»ace our Home market on a sounder footing. Tho matter, however, seems ono rather for the consideration of tho. Government, and as substantial reasons have been put forward in favour not only of improvement by the producers in their methods of consignment, but also of more direct control of the operations at Home, by tho Daily Association or somebody, everything points to tho desirableness of tho remedy being applied by tho Government. Tho success of the industry so far has been largely due to the grading being undertaken by tho Government, and a like fcucccss would undoubtedly attend the assumption by the Government of the responsibi'iry of undertaking tho cold storasfo at fho ports of arrival ns nt our own ports, and the appointment by the Government of an nacner at Homo, which, working solely in tlic interests of Ihe piodiicoi's, would proven! the absorption by outsiders of profits thai should come lo Ibis colony.