WISE COUNSELS NEEDED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19143, 8 October 1925, Page 10

WISE COUNSELS NEEDED

BREAK !M PRODUCE SUPPLY. IRREGULARITY OF SHIPMENT. GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S VIEW. [BT TELEQHAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] HASTINGS, Wednesday. At the Chamber of Commerce luncheon to-day at which he was the guest <si honour, the Governor General, Sir Charles Fergusson, said that during the few months he had been in the Dominion j he had not seen as much of the country as he would have liked. He considered | the best plan was to pay flying visits to j each district and later pay longer visits in order to see the country in greater de- | ta!J. People m Great Britain were awakenj ing to the high standard of New Zealand S products, but if those products were to meet with the success they deserved regularity of supply would have to be assured, as there were many people in England who would give preference to an article which they knew to be inj ferior to New Zealand's produce, but of j which they would be assured of receiving ia, regular supply. It was for this reason that one' was so horrified at the seriousness of the present shipping situation. It was not for him to say anything regarding the right or wrong of the matter but it was unquestionable that regularity of supply was receiving a setback from which it would take years to recover. It could only be hoped that wist'r, counsels would prevail and that the difficult situation would be straightened out. SHIPMENTS BY RUAHINE. THE COOL STORES CLEARED. PROSPECT OF HIGH PRICES. The main item in the Ruahine s cargo is 135,643 boxes of bntter, a record shipment from any New Zealand port with the exception of that lifted by the Gallic in 1923, when 137,000 boxes left Auckland in a single bottom. In addition the ship lifted 625 crates of cheese and 7000 freight carcases (601b. each) of beef and lamb from the Farmers' Freezing Company, as well as meat from the Westfield Freezing Company, concerning which details are not available. The effect of the Ruahine getting away is practically to clear the cool stores of dairy produce, a fact that is most reassuring at the present juncture. All butter received up to September 30 is now on the high seas en route to an eager London market. That is, there remains in Auckland stores only the last week's production. This relief is most welcome. The seamen's strike will have to be very prolonged before any problem as to storage can arise in this province. Even if no other ship gets away within the next three months, there are cool stores at King's Vharf, Southdtiwn and Horotiu to accommodate all dairy production in that period. These three works between i them can take up to 500,000 boxes of | butter or its equivalent. In addition there ! is refrigerated space at the Westfield i works and at Moure wa, near Opua. The : latter could be used for North Auckland i dairy produce if there were any reason Ito anticipate pressure on the central j stores. Moerewa has space for 150,000 boxes of bntter. The storage problem has, of course, never been so acute in the minds of farmers as the irritating fact that their butter was being held off a market v here supplies were almost bare and prices consequently high. In fact, the London market has not been so favourable for three seasons as it is to day. The Latest London quotation places bntter at 236s per cwt., which exceeds bv 12s the previous best price since August, 1922. The sailing of the Ruahine will in all probability enable Auckland dairy produce to realise at- the high values now obtaining.