NEW ZEALAND DAIRY PRODUCE AT HOME.

New Zealand Mail, 30 December 1892, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND DAIRY PRODUCE AT HOME.

(Bbitish Australasian.)

Mr Perceval the New Zealand Agent-General, is still busying himself over the butter question, and as the matter of improving, increasing, and popularising the supply of the New Zealand articlo is one of great interest to the trade in this country as well as to agriculturists in the colony, I will just recapitulate how the matter stands. "With all drawbacks the demand for 'the New Zealand article ia likely to be considerably greater in the coming season than was the case in the last. This is evidenced by the number of inquires made at the Agent-General's offices by retailers in various parts of the country, who are desirous of knowing how best they can secure a supply of the genuine article. This Mr Perceval haa put them in the way of doing by giving the names and addresses of some of the principal consignees. Your readers are, of course, aware that the Margarine Act has broken down in ita practical working, and that until it can bo amended it will be very difficult to prevent the genuine butter being largely swamped out of the market by the grease manufactured out of foreign fats. The British Dairy Farmers' Association are busying themselves in obtaining an amendment of the Act, and in the meantime they are doing what they can to put some backbone into the administration of the present one. It ia, of course obvious that the sale of so much margarine on the market is quite as prejudicial to the prospects of New Zealand butter as it is to all other genuine descriptions. Mr Perceval is, therefore, taking all possible steps to assist in the anti-margarine agitation. At first he proposed invoking the assistance of the Board of Trade, but without a backing in the shape of amending legislation it is very difficult for that body to in terrene efficaciously, Mr Perceval has,

therefore, deemed it best to coopetate as far as possible with the British Dairy Farmers' Association with a view to securing efficient legislation, preventing the substitution of margarine for butter, in the forthcoming session of Parliament. There can be" no doubt that this is the most prudent plan, aa the Association is in possession of a strong leverage, especially as regards influencing members of Parliament, which no stranger could hope to wield in the same degree. There is another very important point. Aa in the ease of New Zealand frozen meat, so New Zealand butter has to contend with the fact that it is retailed in this county under a variety of designations, not its own. In this direction, too, Mr Perceval ia working with the British Farmers' Association, and though he is not sanguine enough to believe that he will be able immediately to induce the English retailers to sell New Zealand butter as ' New Zealand,' he hopes that he will be able to get it put before the private consumer as 'colonial,' which will, at any irate be an instalment in the direction of doin« away with the aliases under which it it at preseot sold. In the meantime it rests with the dairy farmers in the colony to make the New Zealand brand—and the same thing applies to Victoria—a braud of superiority, and not inferiority, as will be the case if carelessness supervenes on an increased demand.