THE BUTTER POOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18180, 28 August 1922, Page 3

THE BUTTER POOL.

Sir,—Li your issue of August 21 yon publish an article on the dairy industry, giving the views of Mr. W. A. Robinson, managing director of the Anglo-Contin-ental Produce Company, London. Talking of the dairy pool, Mr. Bobinson is reported ats, saying that the bulk of tb» farmers were not in favour of such '* policy. Then the considered opinion ot the directors of all the dairy companies in the North Island expressed through their representatives, selected by opan meetings, held in various centres, after due deliberation and carried unanimously, that a dairy pool be established, counts for nothing' Mr. Robinson speaks of butter being now up to 2365. But who is getting this price ? Batter at 2365, London return? in the vicinity of Is lid f.0.b., New Zealand ports. The Ebbald published a lew weeks ago the prices at which a Taranaki factory sold its output, and headed it. " Good prices obtained." Look back your files, and you will see that the average price obtained was under Is 5d per lb. Who is setting the extra 6d per lb.? Inquire from factory directors and you will find i-aat 95 per cent, sold their makes ironi February on to the end of the season, at prices varying from Is Id ;to Is sd, the bulk of it at about Is 3Jd. All these nice prices that appear in the HEBAio from time to time are for the benefit to the extent of 6d per, lb. and over of organisations such as-that Mr. Robinson represents. By the very simple camouflage of talking of the high prices- obtained on the London market, the natural assumption in that the farmer 5s getting them, and mer : chants, bankers, the Government, and ,ati' who come in contact with the farmer deal it out to him accordingly. Mr.-Robinßon says no measure of control is possible. How is it that as soon as his and kindred organisations obtained control of the autumn butter the market rose contrary to all precedent in the flush of the Northern Hemisphere make of butter. The Mercantile Gazette publishes weekly accounts of farmers' bankruptcies; Mr. Massey talks sympathetically Of the farmer having to borrow to pay his income tax; you warn us of the loss on the railways; prices for butter for local consumption are based on the export parity of prices obtained by London merchants, and so the'price of living is kept up; and revaluations are made of soldier settlements. It is one dirge of loss—loss all round—except the English produce merchant, who, this autumn, has made more profit from speculations in butter that wjouid have cured all the ills enumerated above. Ask for a commission of inouirv andVcompave the prices obtained by the sale of butter to the English produce rnerchan\ v arid the price,, obtained by butter on consignment.,' and then tell me whether 1 have exaggerated tho, position. i The whoWcountry is feeling the pinch in order that a few speculators, in London may have extra luxuries, and our news- 5 papers are talking twaddle about marketi: ing* conditions for tho life Wood of W>» i country being ideal, "■ V j