BUTTER PRICE-WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20716, 8 November 1930, Page 12

BUTTER PRICE-WAR.

CONCERN AMONG FARMERS.

"CHAOTIC STATE OF AFFAIRS." READJUSTMENT SOUGHT. [BY TEI.EGRAPn. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] MATAMATA, Friday. The butter war on the local market camo up for discussion at a largely-at-tended meeting of farmers in Mntamata this evening. The chairman, Mr. D. B. Iliggins, moved: "That this meeting views wjth dismay tho chaotic state of affairs in regard to the sale of butter on the local market, and considers it imperative that a meeting of farmers should be held with a view to formulating a scheme for tho readjustment of the market prices." It was suggested that a monster meeting of dairy fanners should be held in Matamata. Mr. It. W. Stevens, bank manager, said that one-third of the butter production in New Zealand was consumed locally. 110 was sure tho townspeople would pay up to Is 6d or Is 8d per lb. for their butter if tho farmors could be assured of a payable return for tho whole of their output. Mr. Ivan Black said the local price was fixed by a board of three, one of whom was Mr. W. Goodfellow, managing director of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, which controlled a larger quantity of butter than any other company in (lie Dominion.

The chairman pointed out that Mr. C. J. Parlane, general manager of the New Zealand Dairy Company, had written stating that if the suppliers could evolve any satisfactory scheme for stabilising the price on tlio local market that scheme would have his company's support. Mr. P. Hawke directed attention to the economic waste that went on through ■dairy companies competing for supply «nd through the cost of distributing the manufactured article. He suggested that the dairy companies should organise and place their industry on a better footing and eliminate waste. . Mr. \V. H. Allen, a director of the New Zealand Dairy Company, said that other companies had started undercutting in Auckland, and his company had had to follow suit. An amendment was moved that the matter bo left to dairy company directors, but the motion was carried by a large majority.