PLAIN SPEAKING

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 9, 10 July 1931, Page 5

PLAIN SPEAKING

"FOOLING NEW ZEALAND"

DAIRY PRODUCE PRICES

Some plain speaking in criticism of the London agents handling the great bulk of New Zealand's butter and cheese was indulged in by Mr. A. M. Samuel, M.P.,. in an address to the annual conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union yesterday. Ho alleged that certain London houses were only ''fooling Now Zealand" in pretending that they did not want the North of England for their European conned-' tions and were "camouflaging their tactics by pretending to do their best for New Zealand.". , . • "At present," said Mr. Samuel, "our chief market is in the : South of England. Advertising campaigns in the Midlands and North skilfully conducted^ by the Dairy Board manager, aided by High ■ Commissioners, with periodic visits, supplemented also by some general campaigns by the Marketing Board, have brought -little sustained results. Why is this so? As a result,of inves-, tigation, I am of opinion that it, is because the London agents, into whose hands the great bulk of the butter and cheese go, work on a policy of confining our butter and that of Australia as much as possible to the South of England, keeping the Midland and Northern areas for European supplies. Port authorities in Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol,, and Glasgow all want our ships to go there: direct for the sake of the dock trade. From time to time they, organise visits of High Commissioners and Prime Ministers to tell.them how much they want our trade, and what great and populous markets these ports can supply direct without the extra cost of the produce and railage'rates from London—as much as 2s 6d per box for butter. The argument applies also to our lamb and apples. This periodic urging by the port authorities has been going on for years.: It is also backed up by the local merchants—^so far, so good—but when we get down to brass tacks what do wo find? >That the chief agents and merchants in, these ports aro branches of London houses; that.is,.so far as dairy produce is concerned. They; hold the bulk of the distributive trade; and there is nothing to prevent their having the butter and cheese sent direct if they wish, or if they are sincere ia the utterances they'made from time to time to our Prime Ministers and High. Commissioners. -.But they do not do this. ' . ~':.. . THE OLD ARGUMENT. "We find, for instance, that , one London agency 'a representative in .one large English port is the Consul for Finland. Another large agency has heavy investments in: the dairy industry, in supplying a European country. lv. other words, these London houses want the North for their European trade, aiid they are only fooling New Zealand when they pretend the reverse; They will let in only as much New Zealand butter to these areas as suits them, at the same time sufficiently camouflaging their'tactics, when occasion necessitates it, by pretending to do their best for New: Zealand—and falling back on the old argument that there is a prejudice against our butter because of its alleged appearance, its taste, or-the fact that it, is in a bos instead of a tub. Now, the point is that the agents outside the London ring are not sufficiently strong to • order in quantities large enough to warrant direct shipments to these ports 4 It would immensely benefit New Zealand if they could, for these markets have vast possibilities. Certainly ship* call at these ports, but only after having called first at London, and by the time they get to them butter probably hat changed in price in London.'?" ~