THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1922. MARKETING DAIRY PRODUCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 27 April 1922, Page 4

THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1922. MARKETING DAIRY PRODUCE.

It is encouraging to find that the leaders of the dairying industry are keeaiy seeking for a system of market- \ ing butter and cheese m a way to bring the most satisfactory returns to the producers. The industry has grown very rapidly in importance, -and in years to come it is bound to expand still farther. For many years past producers have suffered very much "owing to tb§ Id-ok of control and the haphazard manner in which their produce has gone on to the London market. New Zealand's farmers have gone to a great deal of trouble to produce butter and cheesy of good quality and the Government has given valuable assistance. Our factories are well handled, and those responsible for the manufacture of dairy produce have proved themselves to be careful and Capable men. But unfortunately there has been but little care taken to "watch over ths interests after the produce h£s been skipped, and, as everyone knows, the New Zealand farmers have suffered heavy loss through this neglect. •" At Monday's meeting to discuss the question of a dairy produce pool much valuable information was given, Mr.* Goodfellow's account of what happens to produce when it reaches London being i especially interesting. It is quite easy to see how desirable it is for every i effort being made to effect improvements. " A steady flow of produce to the market, a steady and reasonable price, the maintenance of the highest grade of produce, sud an insurance that New Zealand produce reaches the consumer as New Zealand produce, and not blended with an inferior article, should be the great objective of the producer. It is with this object in view that the proposal to form a compulsory dairy produce pool is being investigated and discussed, and there is every reason to look for good resxilts from the movement. The Tooley Street mer- ] chants have been advertising our j produce extensively of late, and the other day we looked through about j forty clippings from various English j and Scottish papers urging people to j buy New Zealand butter. The \ clippings were published during February, and the demand for New Zealand butter has been good during ' the last two months, no doubt due, in part, to the advertising which has been given. Tooley Street, however, is not bound to advertise our produce, nor can it be expected that the merchants need concern themselves in the matter of stopping the blending of our butter, with inferior makes. The merchants are purely clearing houses out to make the best profit, as every middleman is, and it is for the manufacturers, that is the dairy factories arid the farmers who supply them, to take measures to protect the industry and make it bring in pie best returns. It can, only be done by co-operation and united effort, such as can be achieved by a compulsory pooling scheme. The matter of satisfactory marketing is one which we think is the business of the producers to attend to, and there is every good reason for their endeavouring to raise the capital needed by a levy upon butterfat so that the cost of the scheme might fee borne by those who are to benefit from its operation. The Government backing to the scheme should not involve expenditure of the .-taxpayers' money! but should be more in the nature of a guarantee and endorsement of the scheme, in the i same way as the Government regards

t!;e meat pool. We Have no doubt that

the conference to be held in Wellington •shortly will be able to develop the proposals discussed at Hawera, and it is to be hoped that a sound, definite scheme . will ultimately be adopted, placing the industry on tlie best commercial basis-.