VICTORIA'S BUTTER COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12774, 26 January 1905, Page 5

VICTORIA'S BUTTER COMMISSION.

THE REBATE QUESTION. j By Telegraph.—Press Association—Copyright. Melbourne, January 25. The Royal Commission appointed to inquire into questions affecting the butter export trade has made a progress report. This report state.* that £13,130 was paid by the mail steamer companies to certain .fii His; of which £12,422 was paid to Messrs. Bartram and Son, of Melbourne. The amount was ciyon as rebate on freight, not as brokerage earned in the ordinary way. The payment of these secret sums had deprived the shippers of a reduction in freights. Discussing freights generally the commissioners believe that the companies are sufficiently strong and influential to demand their own terms from the producers. As such a state of affairs is a menace to Australia's export trade in butter, it calls for the united efforts of the States to place the trade outside of an iufiience which has the power of increasing the burdens on the primary producers, and recommends the producers not to enter into contracts binding them to pay more than a halfpenny per lb in freight. PRESS COMMENTS. (Received January 25, 10.30 p.m.) Melbourne, January 25. As the outcome of the Butter Commission report, the Government has determine ed to make arrangements in conjunction with the producers for 3 halfpenny freight. ' Commenting on the report, the Age asks whether the Government will now promptly and efficiently act on the recommendations made. It declares that the State has cause to complain against the mail steamer companies, in so far as these firms placed hindrance in the way of honest investigation. Their payment of money so favoured the few that it was a violation of the contract. The motive was a desire to wrong . the producers. The Argus says: Has the usage of commission, which in themselves are no more justifiable than tips, really meant any loss to the producers? The Commission does not enter into any detailed answer to this important question. It can only urge, the shippers to insist upon a halfpenny freight, in place of the existing three farthings, and speaks somewhat airily of the Government being in a posiion to guarantee the freight on perishable' products. If freights are to be reduced, it can only be by a business procedure, not by paper schemes, or hasty legislation interfering with established usages.