Premium Wanted For Finest Butter

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 157, 6 July 1936, Page 2

Premium Wanted For Finest Butter

TO HOLD QUALITY ON MARKET The need of an adequato premium for quality in connection with the Government's guaranteed price scheme for dairy produco, was stressed at a meeting of the Manawatu executive of the Earmers’ Union in Palmerston North on Saturday. The matter was introduced by Mr E. O. Bond who moved “that the executive urge upon the Government the need for an adequato premium to be paid on high quality butter thereby maintaining aud even improving the quality of this commodity.” Mr Bond said that the question of the price for various grades of butter had not been settled by the Government in its guaranteed price scheme. The need for raising the quality of Now Zealand butter need not be stressed, he said, as the bigger portion of New Zealand butter did not reach beyond 94 points. But if the Government selected 94 as a top quality, those factories which produced a better article, -would be left high and dry. The Government would bo assisted in selling with a better butter for export and a monetary inducement would urge factories to make that better article. Unless an adequate premium was paid, .something similar would happen as did in trade unionism where men of ability had to be measured down to lhe general run of workers. Mr Bond

said a certain amount of pressure was being brought to bear on (he Government against any premium being paid. There was a percentage of factories producing adove the general level and they should be encouraged. The chairman (Mr N. Campbell) said that (lie country had to be careful that the price for the best was not the same as the price for the average. lie suggested a premium of one half-penny as an inducement to factories to raise their standard and so provide the British market with what it wanted. The Government should pay for quality and not quantity. If factories ,producing the highest quality didn’t, get a premium it would be no encouragement to them to carry on but to fall to the general average and so cut costs. Mr C. P. Jensen saw a certain amount of danger in the proposition in that finest butter in New Zealand did not always remain first on arrival at Home. Mr V. J. Gimblett said that the premium should apply to cheese as yell as butter. Mr Bond was agreeable to include cheese or for that matter all dairy produce. Mr J. 11. Boyce said the whole question had been placed before lion. W. Nash at the last Dairy Board Conference and the Government realised the need for some discrimination. The difficulty was whether it should be paid on grading in New Zealand or at Home. The Government realised that quality had to be encouraged. The motion amended to read dairy produce instead of just butter, was seconded by the chairman and carried unanimously. A copy is to bo forwarded to lion. W. Nash, Minister of Marketing.