THE HAIRY’ BONUSES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 227, 23 August 1935, Page 8

THE HAIRY’ BONUSES.

The present week is an important one for the majority of dairy farmers throughout New Zeulaiul, for it marks the distribution of the final payments for the past season’s supplies of butterfat in the form of bonuses. Never before have these been better earned and the town dweller will wish his country brothers, and sisters, too, even better returns in the season now entered upon, both in the monthly payments and the final bonus. The allocation of these final payments has a marked stimulus upon trade generally; how appreciable this is may be gauged from the amount to be paid out by factories in the district surrounding Palmerston North—computed at over £200,060. Further afield, the large Waikato organisation, the New Zealand Co-operative Hairy Company, is paying out. a total bonus of £640,235, an increase of £223,145 over the preceding year. It can be taken that the basis of comparison favours the Manawatu district factories to the same extent. It would be unwise to assume that these final returns to the farmer are in the nature of some totally unexpected gift; they are the direct result of prudent determination of the monthly payments earlier in the season, plus a very welcome improvement in prices in recent weeks, when some factories gained more advantage than others according to the quantity of produce they had unsold when full advantage could be taken of the rise. Those with large consignments still to dispose of will gain even further benefit. In reading the reports of the various companies, there is discernible a marked tone of optimism regarding the outlook for the new season, and this is fully justified. In the case of cheese factories there is an appreciably better prospect with the detrimental effects of inferior Home-made cheese being reduced on the British market; effects which counted against this class of produce very much in the past year. The prospects for butter, too, are most encouraging. The rich dairying lands surrounding our own city mean more to it than may be realised. That the dairymen are now enjoying a supplementary payment of such an extent as has been mentioned will give cause for gratification in many avenues of occupation.