BUTTER AND CREESE

Evening Star, Issue 20254, 15 August 1929, Page 5

BUTTER AND CREESE

CONTROL BOARD’S EXPORT CONTRACTS

FACTORY REPRESENTATIVES’ PROTESTS

.■A meeting of representatives of dairy factories was held t in the Farmers’ Union rooms yesterday, when the. president of the South Island Dairy Association (Mr H. if. Middleton) wa-; in the chair. The Chairman explained that the meeting had been convened hy Mr William Lee (a ■member of the Dairy Control Board) to consider the proposed new contracts for butter and

cheese drawn up by the New Zealand Dairy Produce Exporters’ Association. He understood that the contracts were already approved by the board. Mr Lee stated that against his will the Dairy Board had decided to ratify those'.'contracts without first referring them to the South Island dairy factories. He considered the matter of such importance that he had called a meeting at. Timaru, and had called that day’s meeting to the clauses in the contract, some of which he did not consider to be in the interests of the South Island factories. A general discussion ensued, and it was generally considered that certain clauses in the proposed contract -were detrimental to the interests of South Island factories. The proposal to make, finest cheese the basis for f.o.b. purchases, and to pay id per lb less for first grade, was condemned on the ground that first grade should be the basis, and that id per lb more should be paid for “ finest.” It was also considered that r.he clause stipulating that factories : manufacturing an excess quantity over certain months (where the buyers did not accept such excess quantity) should take so much of the excess off each month was impracticable. The clause dealing with shrinkage was discussed, divided opinions being held. Strong exception was taken to the action of the board in not giving South Island factories the opportunity of expressing their views_ on the proposed contracts, and a motion of appreciation of Mr Lee’s action in convening -the meeting was passed. .Mr Wight, of the South Island Dairy Association, gave some interesting figures showing how the proposed contracts would affect dairy factories. Mr A. C. Cameron, of the National Mortgage ami Agency Company, stated that as far as lie knew the proposed contract forms had not been submitted to local dairy exporting houses. Wiule lie considered that it was in the interests of nil concerned to have one uniform contract for butter mid one lor cheese in use throughout the wliole o! New Zealand, and while in his opinion the existing contracts might be improved. lie considered that the South Island should have been consulted before the proposed contracts were ratified by the board. In his opinion certain clauses were not in the interests of South Island factories. A motion moved by Mr W. MU'yn and seconded by Mr S. Bowman, to the effect “that this meeting of the Otago dairy factories was not prepared to accept the proposed contracts in their present form, and asked the board to take steps to submit the whole matter for the consideration of the dairy associations,” was carried unanimously.