AN ENGLISH REPRESENTATIVE ON DAIRY PRODUCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9163, 19 September 1888, Page 6

AN ENGLISH REPRESENTATIVE ON DAIRY PRODUCE.

Mr. E. Meadows, the representative of the London firm of Messrs. H. Trengrouse and Co., provision agents and consignees for the Armour Canning Co. of Chicago, is now on a visit to Auckland. He came to the colony two or three weeks ago, and since his arrival here he has seen little of the colony save the district between Wellington and New Plymouth. So far as he has seen of the colony, he is well pleased with the country, but thinks there is little energy and enterprise displayed either in country districts or town business as compared with what is witnessed in Canada or the United States. In those countries the eight hours' system of labour is unknown, and the contrast naturally attracted the attention of Mr. Meadows. He is at pre•sent staying at the Star Hotel, Auckland, where he will be willing to see anyone connected with the production of provisions of any kind. His present visit is for the purpose of trying to make business arrangements for the regular supply of consignments of dairy produce or provisions of any kind. The business in which his firm is engaged is a very extensive one, and only those who can supply in large quantities of uniform quality will have any chance of sharing in his arrangements. In their dealings with American produce the least quantities they purchase from one seller is the car-load, say, 250 kegs of butter, or 150 boxes of cheese of 601b each. The quality in every case must be uniform, so that any box or keg opened might be relied upon as being a fair representative of all the others. Indeed, so highly is uniformity of quality regarded as a prime necessity in all caseo where a very large business is done, that a good medium quality of uniform character would be thought more of, and bring more money in the market, than a variety of very choice qualities in small quantities. As a rule, it will only be those farmers who are working as associations, or those who have such a large number of cows as would enable them to produce large quantities of an even quality that will be able to show in this new opening for our dairy and farm produce. Mr. Meadows thinks that those settlers who have to deal with the milk of less than, say, 200 to 300 cows will be unable to obtain a permanent footing in the London or any other British market, however good the quality may be they produce. In the case of settlers with smaller herds, it will be to their advantage to club together, have a creamery established, produce the butter or cheese in the district of a uniform quality, and divide the proceeds pro rata according to the quantity of milk supplied, as is now done in some parts of Switzerland and Italy. The fame of New Zealand dairy produce is already beginning to have its effects in America. He showed us a letter he had just received from a large firm in Canada in which they wished him success in his trip to New Zealand, and the writer expressed the opinion that when the New Zealand colonists pulled themselves together and tried to produce an article in quantity equal to what the colony could produce, the days of Canadian and American supply would be numbered. Samples of butter already sent home from New Zealand showed that the colony could produce an article which would be as superior in quality to that sent from Canada and America as the New Zealand meat and rabbits already proved superior to such articles from elsewhere. Such expressions of opinion show that New Zealand is held in wholesome dread by Canada and America, and it is only the general want of association and combination that keeps New Zealand in a backward position in regard to the supply of provisions of any kind. Mr. Meadows intends to stay in the colony for the next' six or eight months, and will endeavour to see all the principal dairying districts in the summer season. He leaves for the South about the end of the present week, and will be absent from Auckland about six or eight weeks. On his return here he will visit several districts, but in the meantime he urges upon the attention of all the necessity for uniformity of quality of the produce intended for the British markets. On Tuesday he had an interview with the representatives of the New Zealand Dairy Association, the Waikato Land Association, Mr. H. Reynolds, and Messrs. Ambury and English. In the afternoon he was driven out to several places in the suburbs bv Mr. R. Fry.