The War And Butter Substitutes

Northern Advocate, 25 June 1940, Page 9

The War And Butter Substitutes

The severe rationing of butter in the United Kingdom, coupled with the unrestricted sale of butter substitutes raises well grounded fears that the industry in New Zealand, as well as in Australia, may be faced with a serious problem, in the post-war period, states the annual report of the National Dairy Conference. Those who are intimately associated with the industry immediately after the last war will have clear recollections of the difficulties experienced, and the losses sustained in rebuilding the demand for New Zealand butter on the British market, partly due to the high accumulation of stored butter of all descriptions, subsequently released on the open market with depressing effects, and partly to the stronghold obtained during the war by the margarine interests. It took years of strenuous work and the expenditure of many thousands of pounds on advertising campaigns to re-establish our butter in tiie position it previously held with the British consumer. The lessons of the last war should not be forgotten. The drastic rationing of 4oz butter per week instituted early in January of this year presented an opportunity that the margarine interests were not slow to seize, and aided by a free market and boosted by well-organised advertising campaigns, it is no wonder that their factories were soon working day and night to cope with the demand. Add to this the fact that, the retail price of butter was fixed at 1/5 and 1/7 per lb, while the best table margarine could be purchased in unrestricted quantities at 8d and the ultimate effect is not difficult to forecast. Result of Rationing'. The immediate result of rationing was to build up large reserves of stored butter, and whilst the ration was subsequently increased to Boz per week, this was not sufficient to counterbalance, though it did slow up the rate of accumulation. Since then, the invasion of Denmark has taken place, cutting off all supplies from that source, but if, as appears evident at time of writing this report, the policy of the Imperial food control authorities is to hold huge stocks of butter in reserve, ft must be assumed that the •tragic misfortune of the Danes will eventually mean stricter rationing of butter in Britain. For the time being, the identity of our butter has been completely lost, all butters being sold under the “National” brand. Our responsible marketing officers have been taken over by the Imperial authorities, and this Dominion has thus lost the services of the men most capable of watching our overseas interests during a critical period. The effect of the huge sums spent on advertising New Zealand butter over the past twenty years is rapidly diminishing, and soon will be entirely lost. The Minister in charge of food supplies, in support of his policy of storing butter, has publicly drawn attention to the availability and to the high food value and vitamin' content of margarine. All these factors, pointing as they do to danger ahead, are of vital concern to New Zealand producers.

The people of this country are completely justified in asking that the Government should fully investigate a position that seriously menaces the future welfare of the industry, and the Dominion as a whole. No farmer will criticise or question the soundness of the policy of the Imperial Government, in building up adequate reserves, of foodstuffs for the successful prosecution of the war, but the industry is fully entitled to ask that every effort should be made by our marketing authorities to avoid a disastrous state of affairs, similar to that which arose after the last war. components of margarine can be stored much more easily, and with less risk of deterioration than manufactured butter, and if the food control authorities’ estimate of the food value of the former is accepted, there appears from this distance no logical reason why the components should not be stored and a correspondingly larger portion of butter brought into consumption. Mangapai A large crowd attended the dramatic concert on Wednesday last, when the two plays which the Women’s Institute has entered for the Drama Festival (to be held in Whangarei next week) were staged. A variety of other items pleased the audience, and the evening ended with a dance, to music by piano, violin and drum. ' Those taking part in the drama, “Devil Stones” were Mesdames Parnell, Webb, Mil(don, B. Finlayson and Misses Ruth McConnell, Joyce Gulbransen, Jean Lornie, and A. Holmes. The comedy players were Mesdames Webb, Parnell, Finlayson and Misses M. Price, J. and E. Gulbransen, the title of the play being “See-Saw.” Both received rounds of applause. Mr H. Adams and Mr Cook McGregor, in bagpipe selections, proved popular. Mrs Valliant amused with a humorous monologue, and Mr D. Golder’s bracket of violin solos provided a musical treat. Miss Mora Finlayson danced a seantriubhas, with Mr C. McGregor accompanying, and Miss Omai Adams, to music by her father, was seen in a sword dance. The two girls then danced a fling together. After sup'per interval, raffles for a cake and a blouse were drawn, Mr Lornie being winner of the cake. He gave it in, and it was sold for Red Cross funds, realising £1 1/. Mrs Price was the winner of the blouse.

A Monte Carlo waltz was won by Mrs A. Howarth and Mr W. Sheehan. Mrs Price acted as announcer for the concert items, and Mr Cliff Holland was M.C. for the dance. Proceeds from the function were distributed equally between the hall, Women’s Institute, and library committees. ’