BUTTER IN BOXES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19062, 6 July 1925, Page 7

BUTTER IN BOXES.

PREJUDICE IN LANCASHIRE. THE NEW ZEALAND ARTICLE. DISCUSSION BY GROCERS. [fbom ouii own cokeestondekt,] LONDONj May 20. At a grocery trade meeting held at Rochdale a few days ago, the secretary read letters from the National Union of Conservative Associations, Lanes and Cheshire area, urging the holding of an Empire Products Week in Rochdale, with a view to stimulating the sale of "Empire goods" locally. Mr. Jowett said that he considered that one difficulty in the way of adopting the suggestion would bo found in the fact that, generally speaking, tho local grocers did not stock Empire goods—especially such things as Empire tinned goods and New Zealand butter. He did not feel like stocking these things for one week only. • r Mr. Cruddas thought the idea of having an Empire week display of Empire goods was a good one, but said the question was, could the local grocers get their customers to accept those goods. The public must be educated to buy those commodities before such an effort as an Empire week could be successful. In the Rochdale district 99 people out of every 100 bought Danish butter and would not have the New Zealand product Mr. Fallon: If the New Zealand people would send us their butter in casks instead of in boxes there would not be so much difficulty in selling it. Mr. Cruddas: In this district there is a strong prejudice against the boxed butter. The President: These people want us to help them to educate the public, and if we attempt to do that we must do it pretty well. A half-hearted effort would be useless. Mr. Herrori: Roehdalo people are altogether averse to boxed butter, and just as strongly wedded to Danish butter; but in my opinion the New Zealand butter would sell better if it was sent to us m Mr! Fallon: There can be no doubt about that. , The President: Still, there w a trade in New Zealand butter even in Rochdale. Some local firms manage to sell_ it. Mr Cruddas: A great deal of it is sold in the South of England, but here the prejudice against .it is very strong. New Zealand butter is very good value, but when we tried it a ftjw years ago we could make no success with it. We shall not try thin Empire week because we haven't the stock 'for it. , Other members also said they had tried trading with New Zealand but had had to stop doing so. They considered it impossible to make a big[successful show of Empire products m RochEventually, on the motion of Mr. Cruddas, seconded by Mr. Greenhalgh, it was decided that, the letters "he on the table." •