AUCKLAND COMMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 231, 30 August 1937, Page 8

AUCKLAND COMMENT.

AUCKLAND, Aug. 29.

“If it is the intention of the Government that dairy-farmers shall receive payment for their services commensurate with that received by other sections of the community for equal services, the price is totally inadequate,” said Mr C. J. Parlane, general manager of the New Zealand Co-op-erative Dairy Company, Limited, in commenting on the guaranteed price. “The Government claimed that the last price was in accordance with their election promises. As no such promises are attached to this season’s price, farmers have every reason to feel disappointed.” “It is not an economic price so far as the dairy-farmer is concerned,” said a director of an important co-opera-tive dairy company. “Every other country that supplies the London market sells blitter there at less than the domestic jirice. That is to say, butter export is subsidised. I feel, and I am sure many others do, that the dairy-farmer is entitled to the New Zealand price for commercial production under New Zealand conditions, especially considering the increased costs that have been imposed upon him.” .

The chairman of directors of the MorrinsvilJe Co-operative Dairy Company, Mr J. E. Leeson, said the price was above the figure at which he had expected the Government to fix it. He estimated that the average farmer iir the Morrinsville district would rgceive £4O or £SO more under the new price than he had last season. Such nien would be able to carry on, ab though the price did not meet rtheir greatly-increased costs, for which the present Government was responsible. If Australian production revived or London prices took a downward trend, things would be difficult. Mr Leeson added that he did not believe the Government would be able to continue its compulsory purchase plan very long. In his opinion farmers would have done just as well last season if no such plan had been in operation.

CONSIDERATION FOR QUALITY, DETAILS OF GRADES.

The payments announced by the Minister are the basic f.o.b. guaranteed prices. The corresponding prices for last dairy season were:—Finest grade creamery butter scoring 93 or 93£ points, 117 s 3d per cwt, or 12 9-16 d per lb; first grade cheese scoring 92 of 921 points, 63s 7d per cwt, or 6 13-16 d per lb. . The basic purchase price is subject to increase or decrease by quality differ-

entails which are as follow: CREAMERY BUTTER. Finest Grade — 94 upward plus Is 2d per cwt 93 to 93j- basic guaranteed prico First Grade — 92 to 92£ minus 7d per cwt , 90 to minus 2s 4d per cwt Second grade minus 7s per cwt CHEESE. Finest Grade — 94 upward plus Is per cwt 93 to 93j plus Is 2d per cwt First Grade — 92 to 92£ basic guaranteed prico 91 to 91? minus 7d per cwt Second Grade minus 2s 4d per cwt AVERAGES PRICES. Following are the average prices for New Zealand butter and cheese:

Paid for Buttor-fat. London prices. Year. Cheese Butter. Cheese. Butter d. d. s. d. 6. d. 1901-02 . 9.25 9.80 1902-03 . 10.30 9.00 1S03-04 . 9.50 7.89 1904-05 . 9.00 9.64 1905-06 . 12.00 10.38 63 2 110 9 1906-07 . 12,82 10.96 64 1 106 8 1907-08 . 11.92 10.28 62 1 115 * 1908-09 . 12.94 11.32 62 10 111 9 1909-10 . 12.05 11.16 58 9 115 5 1910-11 . 11.95 10.52 59 1 109 1 1911-12 . 14.59 12.16 69 10 125 8 1912-13 . 13.25 12.02 62 6 117 4 1913-14 . 14.38 12.00 66 0 116 3 1914-15 . 18.38 13.81 84 7 136 5 1915-16 . 19.87 16.82 93 7 161 3 1916-17 . 19.50 17.00 101 9 200 4 1917-18 . 22.25 24.56 130 8 252 0 1918-19 . 24.62 19.11 155 4 -248 5 1919-20 . 25.20 20.00 154 0 271 11 1920-21 . 29.37 33.00 154 0 289 5 1921-22 . 18.00 16.50 100 4 190 4 1922r23 . 21.50 19.50 111 0 191 10 1923-24 . 17.75 18.50 101 4 186 0 1924-25 . 18.50 18.75 96 0 189 7 1925-26 . 19.75 18.61 102 9 187 8 1926-27 . 15.00 15.27 87 6 163 6 1927-28 . 19.33 17.12 96 11 170 0 1928-29 . 19.50 18.25 99 9 179 4 1929-30 . 17.50 16.00 88 3 157 3 1930-31 . 11.25 12.25 64 4 119 5 1931-32 . 11.85 11.45 63 3 108 9 1932-33 . 9.75 8.75 54 5 89 1 1933-34 . 9.50 8.75 47 3 80 0 1934-35 . 10.25 9.50 48 0 83 0 1935-36 . 13.35 12.50 61 10 97 0 (Last free marketing season.) Estimated— 1936-37 . 14.60 13.50 66 0 109 0 (First guaranteed price season.)