The Hawera Star. TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1925. QUALITY IN BUTTER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 25 August 1925, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1925. QUALITY IN BUTTER.

Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock -n Hawern, Manaia. Nonianby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Alton, Hurleyvilie, Patea, Waverley. Mokoia, Whakainara, Ohangai. Meremere, Eraser Road, an Ararat®.

Any satisfaction (hat New Zealand has won (he, “championship of the world” in butter will be negative rather than positive. It is something that this doubtful title has-not gone outside the Dominion. Granted that there was a good showing of overseas entries in the championship class at Auckland last week, it is difficult to believe that butler shipped from Europe would open up in a condition to do its makers full .justice. In tlie circumstances the performance of an Irish factory in qualifying for sixth place—only two points, behind, the “champion”—is worthy of special praise. With the exception of this and three other Irish exhibits, however, the honours went to New Zealand and Australian factories. Quite probably there is no better butter in the world than that madei in this country and Australia, and we have no desire to detract from the glory of the winning makers; hut it would, afford a good comparison if a sister competition could be held at Home, when Denmark and Canada could reach the exhibition centre in less than a week, and Australian and New Zealand butter had to be shipped half way round the world. It has to be remembered, too, that the judging was on New Zealand standards. Presumably these are largely in accord with the highest standards of butter experts elsewhere; but neither Minnesota nor Alberta, for example, could know the little peculiarities of our graders as well as New Zealand makers do. It is curious, also, that although Danish butter consistently oversells ours on the London, market —the difference in last week’s quotations was 16s per ewt., and not so long ago it was nearer 40s —the only Danish entry at Auckland could not score above 88 points and would not have been classed first grade in New Zealand. It is possible, of course, that tlie exhibit, was not a fair sample of Denmark’s make, or that the fondness of the British public for Danish butter is not based' on quality; but the more probable explanation lie.ie again is that the entry suffered through its long voyage, the more so since Danish buttermakers' do not- ordinarily manufacture with a view to transport over such distances. However, the precise value of a “world’s championship” competition in butter —or in any dairy product, for that matter —need no't concern us further. More to the point arc some comments by Mr P. J. Carroll, Commonwealth supervisor of dairy exports, who was invited over to Auckland to watch Australian interests at. the judging. “From the very inception of the idea of a world butter Competition,” savs All- Carroll, “l realised •that such would he of immense value, to Australian manufacturers and would tend to harmonise conditions of manufacture in the two Dominions. . . • •

Competitions of this nature, more es pecially between countries whose ultimate aims are identical, cannot fail to have a. beneficial influence in both countries, and should fortify us in .the tight against our .real competitors, on the London market. . • • There is e' idenee in all the countries competing, of a keen desire to make a product suitable for tlie London market. It there-

fore behoves us of the Southern Hemisphere to leave no stone unturned, not only to maintain, our standard, but to keep on improving.” This points to something of real and lasting value in international competitions. Mr Carroll regretted the absence of Argentinian and Siberian butters from the Auckland exhibition, and it goes without saying that the class would have bc-en of still greater educational value had sample? been forward from these other rival countries. But, when all is said-and done, the real testing table is ill the household of the consumer, and the judge whom the industry as a whole has to satisfy is the man who spreads the butter on his bread. It would be foolish if,, on the strength of having won a so-called world’s championship. New Zealand butter-makers were to lie forward on their oars. The lesson to learn—and it can be learned also from the markets of the Old Land—is not that. New Zealand leads the world, but that every producing country in the world is striving to please the consumer. It is a lesson in the vital importance, as Mr Carroll puts it, not only of maintaining our standard of quality, but also of improving it. It we stand still we cannot: hope to catch Denmark, and we may be sure that someone else will catch us.