THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12546, 13 April 1904, Page 5

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

KEEN COMPETITION AND LOW PRICES.

[BT TEIEQfIi.FH.~OW.N CORRESPONDENT.] Hamilton, Tuesday.

Mil Wesley SPJUGO, managing director of the New Zealand Dairy Association, met the supplier.? at KiriIririroa creamery on Monday afternoon. He said he was there to impart any information that could ha given. At this early part of the season any figures he could (five were only approximate. Last year up to March the association had manufactured 21,270,00011) of butter-fat. This year they had dealt with 2,567, an increase of 183 toss of butter. The bulk of it had to be sold in the English market, which had this year proved a failure. He did not think it would be any worse next year. A number ot circumstances had combined against them that were not likely to recur, so they need not break their hearts. The agents in England stated that their sales had been better than that of any butter cent from other parts of New Zealand, and tha association had also obtained the best price in New Zealand. There would ha a division of profits beyond what had to bo paid as a quantity bonus. This was a comforting statement iu face of the bad season they had experienced. The one great difficulty was to make tho farmers pull together for their mutual benefit, what the association wanted was that the various co-operative companies should unite in the same warmer to do away with tho injurious competition which nt present exists. The highest price obtainable in the local market during the coming season would be lid per lb. 'Jliis was due to competition, iio would not be surprised if in the near future ho had to report that the association's trade had fallen away considerably owing to this attempt to keep up the -price#, iio was opposed to a combine. Ho did not believe Jn 'unfair combination, but it was the right thing far producers to shelter their interests. The purchasers of butter should be able to pay au hpnest price. This year they bad I done so, but he was satisfied that ir the i near future this would not bo the case bej cause of the competition between the cooperative companies. They had kept their ' connection together, but competition meant j increased difficulty in collecting money ant! ; holding to cash terms. Other people gave ' credit or terms in order to divert trade in | fin-it direction. Though then uianuiaoture i and local sales had been greatsi this year ; their profit was less. The war had affected ! the London market to a slight d«;{ree, in '"'that little or no Siberian butter found its way to England. There were a good many other countries to be considered, principally I Denmark and Australia. Tile Capo had for- ; merly been a good market, but the lower I quotations received from Australia bad dei moralised it. The same thing had incurred ! in London. Mr. Bpragg laid great emphasis on the necessity of improving me .lords by culling all the unpiciituble animals, but unfortunately the culled animals very often i found then way into other herds. Owing to ' the improvement in the herds the directors ■ had decided to raise the standard per cow ! from 1501b to 1751b. I Mr. Uano, one of tho directors, also im- • pressed on the meeting tho necessity of ins- ■ proving the herds, and suggested Hint vendors of cows should be compelled to guarani tee certain qualities. A vote of thanks to Mr. Spr&gg and the ] chairman closed the meeting.