PRODUCE & MARKET REPORTS FROM DAY TO DAY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 133, 9 June 1930, Page 12

PRODUCE & MARKET REPORTS FROM DAY TO DAY

GOODWILL

JNDAIJJY i:\TORTTHADE

AS SEEN FROM MEW ZEALAND

Mai kctnig methods have ever bcou a standing di.-h at dair\ larnitiV meetings and conlerriii:-s. the ideal method (not yet attained) being that vllich will give returns completely salUuctuiy to the

pmdu.-cr. It. \n' not surprising:, then. Ilt.it at the important annual gathering of the South Inland Dairy Association hi I Dmicdiu last l-'i iday that marketing incthuds should auain !><■ discussed. On j Saturday there wt.-i c published in these I colmnns extracts from a private letter i.j.eived in "Wflliii.^toii from ihe head oi .me of the oldest "established houses in Too ley Street, the market for butter and cheese. The writer, after reviewing the i-ourse of the butter market this season, rather stressed the iinpnrtiinro of goodwill, and its inlimate relation to any | scheme of marketing Xew Zealand pro-I dnce. The Xew Zealand view of niarket--1112 bttttor and cheese and its connection ■with goodwill was pieseuted to the South Llaml dairy producers by Jlr. T. C. j Jirasli, srcrclary of the N'eiv Zealand | .Dairy Jioard. lie was careful to state I ihai what he -aid were his own views ! t ind tiiiii thi'.v v.ni1 pcidonal. lie i "1 certainly have im rijiht to. try and «ivt con the board's ujduion on ii problem ». fi'iil ot diiliculties." "GENERAL DISSATISFACTION." .\[r. iira.-Ji. speaking from forty years' experience ot llu; dairy industry, outlined the history of New Zealand efforts in the diicclion of organised marketing of butlrr and cheese. He remarked: "All down these flirty yci.rs. for which time 1 have lieen associated witli (lie industry, marketing has been a real problem for discussion at all the annual conferences. The most noticeable feature in all these discussions has been the spirit of general dissatisfaction. "'I regret to say that again and again statements have been made regarding those who were engaged in the marketing of Xew Zealand dairy produce which were absolutely unwarranted. Xot along that line are we going to solve the problems of marketing. Perhaps it would be more correct to say that it was a general j anxiety regarding marketing, rather than dissatisfaction. Producers were anxious I that an export which had grown in 40 years from a value of £200,000 to £20,----000.000 (twenty millions) should be handled mi right lines. An export which | i "presents 55 per cent, of the cheese and ] L' 2 per cent, of the butter imported into (■'real (iritain warrants the most careful j investigation." BOARD'S ATTITUDE. Team wi.rk rather than leadership was Ihe problem in the dairy industry, in Mi', j T'.n;;pli's opinion; and lie added: ''In passing it should, be said t<i the credit of the Xew Zealand Dairy Company that its chairman recently slated that'hc felt cer■am thai his directors would support any national scheme which would give promise of success.'' On absolute cmtivil .Mr. Ilrash said:— "May I say quite frankly that I don't think absolute control will settle the difficulty. 'The induslry expressed its mind on this question with no uncertain sound. Kven if it were possible once, it is eerliiiniy not, possible now. There seems to me t<> bo two 0.-entials. First, it must be voluntary; and secondly, it must be a national scheme. The ipicsiion is how to reconcile I hoe apparently cor dieting aims. .Kecoueil.Vi.ion is only possible by steady consistent team work and success may come slowly, but f. believe that through (he Control Board as the one Dominion organisation of the industry, success would "The board start? wilii the initial advantage of being a national organisation with the v.eccs.-ary powers to arrange shipping and marine insurance contracts satisfactorily, shipping inspection and regulalion, advertising, etc. It has the machinery, which with a little expansion, could handle the work, and. it lias already proved that, all the detail work of finance, etc., can be handled, and handied satisfactorily, by one organisation. Common ground must ho found 'from wh:oh_ all bo:jrd members i.otild move forward." "THE OTHER END." Touching on high quality and ii.r, encouragement by premium. Mr./ Jit-ash said an adequate premium for quality lor consigning factories was. only possible by the board with its power to make levies. He admitted that directors of dairy companies would not be satislied with any marketing proposal that will not give an acie(pilr- premium for finest quality. ••[I is at tho oilier end, however,' he said "where we' meet our greatest difficulties. Any marketing scheme to be successful must be such as will retain the c,,odwi!l. not only of the consumers, out <".-' iho-e who act as intermediaries beuvcen the board and the consumer. Whether Kew Zealand dairy produce is ~,1,1 through brokers, wholesalers or, renders the learn work which we have mdi,'aicd 'as so necessary at 'this end' is equally necessary at (iie .'other end. Air. |, r K,vi< of '.pinion that no hard and u.s't price-fixing by those who give their moduce to the distributors would cvel V elTectivc. "If taken from those who cii -ill initiative and interest in the pro-