Urge Joint Action To Remedy Margarine Position

Northern Advocate, 12 April 1940, Page 3

Urge Joint Action To Remedy Margarine Position

Grave concern at the marketing position in Britain, which has had the effect of encouragingg the sales of margarine at the expense of New Zealand butter, was expressed in a remit carried at yesterday’s Dairy Board conference at Whangarei. “We urge that action be taken through the Minister for Marketing to bring about joint action by Australia and New Zealand to endeavour to remedy this position and at least ensure that an equal relative position on the British market should be kept open to us as that obtaining at the commencement of the war.” was the reading of a remit on the subject advanced b3 r Mr W. E. R. Bird (Kaitaia). It was evident from the statements made by Mr Hale and Mr Murdoch in their addresses, and from information received from other sources, that the whole position built up by the dairy industry in Britain was threatened, Mr Bird said. Mr D. A. Finluyson (Maungaturoto) : Unless drastic action is taken immediately, we will find that we have been left out of the market and then it will be most difficull to re-establish the position we have won. There were no foundations for the belief held in many quarters that the Imperial Government was getting a rake-off: from handling New Zealand butter, said the chairman of the dairy board (Mr W. E. Hale). The disturbing feature was that retailers and wholesalers were getting double the commission they had received previously. Lower Prices After War. Inevitably after the war lower prices would have to be accepted for our butter, Mr F. Elliott (Hikurangi) believed. Farmers W’ould have to take less, or get out of business, so that every effort should be made to reduce costs. Loss of goodwill hitherto enjoyed on the English market because consumers felt that they were being asked to pay a higher price, largely fixed by the New Zealand Government, in order to maintain an artificial standard of living here was mentioned by Mr J. C. Marsh (Kaitaia) as another contributing factor. The remit was carried.