BUTTER QUALITY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 117, 17 April 1934, Page 2

BUTTER QUALITY

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCT. Stating that he was not enter into a controversy Zeathe merits or demerits oi - ... land butter, but was simply _ teUl . £ the truth, Mr AY. F. Durward m, formed the Palmerston Noitlx C Lunch Club to-day, during the corns of an address on his iecen t uj s to Great Britain, that people a* end must realise that they would have to place a better article oil the tab.es Zealanders, said Mr Durward, liked to be told how excellent was tn quality of their production, but at present the butter was not good enoug for the English customers when they, received it for consumption. Aiiei making sure that he was New Zealand brands of butter, lie (the speaker) was forced to eat Danish, an if a New Zealander had to do that, what could be expected of the people in England? He used to be very angry at the fact that Danish butter commanded a better price, but lie was satisfied now that New Zealand butter did not deserve to be at a premium. It might be all right when it was opened up jn cool store, but he found that it was not so a day or two afterwards. _ . Some butter from New Zealand, in tho condition in which he saw it in England, continued Mr Durward, was not fit to eat, and if this Dominion was to retain its market it had to put its butter on the consumers table in as good a condition as the Danish. The present article was not good. People who were very sympathetic towards New Zealand had to cease using the butter because, with every goodwill in the world, they could not eat rancid butter. No doubt New Zealand butter was being blended with others. It might stand up to requirements in the winter, but not in summer, although the last summer, it had to be admitted, was the hottest and driest in England for 80 years. The consumers were willing to pay for a good article. New Zealand butter was not advertised as it should lie, the speaker added. Australia did the job well, spending £IOO,OOO annually. The Commonwealth had a full page advertisement in every medical journal, stressing Australia’s sunshine and the vitamins in its butter through a source in which it was recommended to everybody. New Zealand was making a mistake in permitting her butter to be sold under an Empire brand. It opened the door of opportunity for blending. Whether New Zealand or Australian butter was asked for, it was cut off the same block in some shops. Nobody kept Russian; seemingly it just disappeared as soon as it was landed. If New Zealand butter were put on English tables in as good a condition as it was here, it would bring as good a price as the Danish and take a larger share of the market. It should be sent from the Dominion itself in half-pound pats as, after all, it was not known actually what was being patted at Home.