BUTTER CONTAINERS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 229, 26 August 1938, Page 5

BUTTER CONTAINERS.

CHANGE-OVER EXPENSIVE. Per Press Association. HAMILTON, Aug. 25. The effect of the Government’s decision that saranac boxes must not be used for the export of butter after the end of October was discussed by Mr C. J. Parlane, general manager of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, at the company’s annual meeting to-day. The saranac box, he said, was originally introduced to reduce the .quantity of timber used, and thus prolong the period for which white pine supplies would be available and also to reduce costs to the industry. As millions of the saranac type of container had been used for shipment of butter to the United Kingdom during the past 12 years v r ith satisfactory results, it was difficult to understand the decision to revert to the sub-standard box, more particularly when supplies of white pine timber were becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.

The decision of the Government to change the type of container would involve the industry in very heavy and unnecessary expense. In so far as his company was concerned, in addition to the increased cost of the container, it would mean scrapping a considerable amount of plant which had been installed to manufacture the saranac box and to replace this with machinery suitable for the manufacture of the sub-standard box. In addition, it would be necessary to provide increased storage accommodation at a number of factories.

“Figures were not available showing just what tiie actual cost to the company would be, but his directors were of opinion that if the change in the type of box was for the national good, the national purse should find this extra money, and they had indicated to the Government that their claim for compensation would be submitted in due course.