WAIKATO DISTRICT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7657, 7 June 1886, Page 3

WAIKATO DISTRICT NEWS.

[FKOM oue OWN correspondents.] Hamilton, Saturday. At a meeting of the Railway Reform League a sub-committce was appointed to obtain information and evidence in support of the efforts of the league, the first meeting to be held early next week. Settlers generally will read with interest the actual result of the experiment of sending home a huudredweight of butter for sale. The butter was sent to Manchester by way of London, and sold there on the 11th of December last for Is per lb—a price which is somewhat singular for the time of year, and for the acknowledged excellence of the article. The greater portion was done up in 21b rolls, a smaller portion in rolls of lib, and the latter realised a Jd less per lb than the former, the latter suiting the market better. This, of itself, it worth knowing. The following is the list of charges rendered to the consignee, Mr. Gemmell, of Claudelands: — Freezing charges in Auckland on 1001b butter, 8a id ; freight per Coptio, 5s 5d ; insurance on £5, 7« 4d ; railway freight, London to Manchester, la 3d; London oharges, refrigerating and dock, ss; four months' discount, ls7d ; commission, 2s Id; commission of Meat Freezing Company, 4s 9d : total, £1 168 6d, deducted from gross sale of the butter, £4 15s sd, left a net profit of £2 18s 4d, or exactly 7d per lb. Mr. Uemmel says that the freezing was quite unnecessary, as it would have been sufficient to have sent it in a refrigerating chamber, and this expense saved would have given another Id per lb, and at 8d the settlors had better send their butter home for cash than sell for even less to colonial storekeepers, and take the value out in groceries, often 10 per cent, over market value. Exportation, too, would relieve the local market, and tend to keep up the demand at home.