AFTER THE WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24050, 22 August 1941, Page 3

AFTER THE WAR

UNRESTRICTED MARKET

MR. GOODFELLOW'S VIEWS CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday The prospects for the sale of NewZealand dairy produce in Britain after the war in relation to the agricultural policy in the United Kingdom were mentioned by Mr. W. Goodfellow, managing director of Amalgamated Dairies, Limited, to-day at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Dairy Company, Limited. A great deal had been written about the policy that would he adopted by Britain. "However, after personal investigation, I am of the opiuion that New Zealand will have a free and unrestricted market for all the butter and cheese we care to send," Mr. Goodfellow added. "The production of both butter and cheese is definitely uneconomic in Great Britain, and dairying is likely to be confined mainly to the production of milk and cream for town supply. The United Kingdom farmer will also produce beef, mutton and lamb, imports .of which will probably be regulated by international agreement lor the purpose of maintaining a payable price for the Old Country producer. "The United Kingdom is rapidly disposing of overseas investments, and will in future have to pay for imports largely with rather than with overseas investment income. This aypears to me to mean that after the war there will be lower wages and cheaper food in Britain, but also cheaper goods for export. One thing appears certain —that after the abnormal capital expenditure on non-productive armaments, Europe will be very poor for many years, and poor people cannot pay hig'h prices. The problem of production has been largely solved, and what is required is improved distribution. If the channels of world trade, are cleared after the war, and if the world is to have a peace which will be guaranteed by United Kingdom-American cooperation, then the recovery of wealth and a higher standard of living for all exporting countries should be much more rapid than otherwise would be possible."

MARKETS IN EAST

INCREASING DIFFICULTIES BUILDING UP GOODWILL (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday The sales of dairy ,prd<Mc#to market.other thnn New Zealand and the increasing difficulties in regard to eastern markets were reviewed by Mr. W. Goodfellow, managing-director of Amalgamated Dairies, Limited, to-day at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company. Limited. Generally speaking, Mr. Goodfellow said, sales had kept up fairly well and were as follows in 1910-41:—Butter, 51.614 boxes; tinned butter, 1159 cases; cheese. 140 crates; milk powder, 776 tons; evaporated rhilk, 85,714 cases; casein, 1\ tons. This equalled a turnover, in New Zealand currency, of £361,429. "It is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain our connections in Easteru markets, owing to withdrawal of ships and the demand on the space of those remaining in the services," continued Mr. Good telle w. "We are able to say, however, that in this section of our business we have lost ouly one shipment by enemy action. The tension in the Far East has curtailed operations in North China and Indo-China in particular. In both these markets we were building up useful outlets for milk powder.

"In Singapore, the Philippines and Hongkong ive hare been doing norma] business, and in India skim-milk powder is in good demand, owing to the elimination of Dutch and Danish supplies. The deterioration in shipping facilities to the west coast of India has affected butter sales there. "Turnover in Honolulu has been satisfactory., and we have been selling a certain amount of butter to eastern Canada. Our A\est Indies connection has been held, although we have had to devise special methods to deal with the trans-shipping arrangements. "Considerable quantities of evaporated milk have been shipped to military establishments throughout the East, including the Indian Army, and it is hoped that the brands will become so familiar in these places that the goodwill created for them will be of help in post-war operation."

CHANGE TO CHEESE

CONSIDERABLE SACRIFICE MORE WORK FOR LESS MONEY (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday "The company has been called upon to play a major part in the urgent and imperative change over from butter to cheese, which is necessary in order to meet the requirements of Great Britain," said Mr. W. Marshall, chairman of directors, at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, to-day. "This has made heavy demands on the directors, general manager and staff, and called for patriotic effort, with considerable sacrifice, from many suppliers called upon to make the change, for whom, generally speaking, there must apparently be more work for less money.

"Co-operative ownership has been tested in a crisis. It has proved flexible, shown capacity for organisation and for great effort, with determination to overcome real difficulties, and willingness to make sacrifices for the common good.. My faith is that this spirit will be fostered and that it will help us to take a further step in the forward movement that all hope to make. "The guaranteed price for the ensuing season remains at the level fixed in 1938, which means that although phosphatic fertiliser is sold with a heavy subsidy and the cost of certain other commodities will be subsidised so as to cover costs above fixed figures, the dairy farmer is carrying many increases in costs and to that extent is receiving treatment not in conformity with the Primary Products Marketing Act.

"Owing to the fertiliser rationing, for a time development of farm lands will be difficult and it seems that our aim should be to maintain the farms as adequately as may be possible, produce as much as we can, and pull together all the time so that our farms and this organisation may make their greatest possible contribution toward winning the war and making possible a life of liberty and freedom for those who follow us."