LONDON DAIRY PRODUCE NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1193, 11 January 1895, Page 6

LONDON DAIRY PRODUCE NOTES.

From Our Own Correspondent. A BIG IDEA. London, November 23. When writing with respect to Mr Charles Valentine’s resignation of his post as Produce Commissioner to the New Zealand Government a fortnight since I expressed a hope that the powers that be in the Colony would relieve him of his duties at the earliest opportunity. I now understand from the Agent-General's lips that Mr Valentine really ceased to act for the Government a week or two ago, and that his continued presence at Westminster arises from the courtesy extended to him by the Agent-General, who allowed him to make use of the Experts’ room at the oflices until the ex-Commissioner had hit upon one to suit his purpose, which at present seems to bo the fornfation of his Co-operative Produce Agency. “ What you want is men of big ideas and organising ability,” said a Scotch merchant recently to the B A. Special Commissioner, who was interviewing him in regard to dairy produce, etc. Mr Valentine is distinctly a man of big ideas, but whether' he has the organising capacity in equal degree time alone can show. The Co-opera-tive Colonial Produce Company is a very fine and large idea —one worthy of Mr Co-operative Colonization llees’ brain. And like that worthy colonist’s great scheme it still seems to be rather nebulous. I have before me some notes concerning it from the pen of its inceptor. He says that the “ best means of ensuring effective distribution of colonial produce is by the establishment ol a powerful co-operative company in England. The object of the company is to distribute produce from all the Australian and New Zealand Colonies (sic), and this combination will prove the secret of regulating supply.” That is a beautiful phrase—“ prove the secret of regulating supply.” It looks well somehow, but I must confess that I am unable to assign any particular meaning to it. Then Mr Valentino goes on to say that “ the essentials are cheap working, capital and co-operation.” Whether these things have anything to do with the regulation of supply is not stated. Certainly, however, the first essential in this matter is co operation ’twixt consignors and consignees. Cheapworking capital, it is also true, is the essential necessity of every company formed, but Mr Valentine does not say how he proposes to raise this money. The bold statement that the capital of the company will “ probably be about a million with powers to increase,” is all the information vouchsafed on the “ essential ” financial point. The promoter, one supposes, intends to get a large share of his capital out of the actual producers of the various kinds of produce, otherwise it is difficult to. see where co-operation comes in. If the money is to be raised outside these good people, it is a moral certainty that the investors (unless Mr Valentine has discovered a nest of wealthy philanthropists) will want just as much interest on their money as can be squeezed out of consignments. To raise a million amongst Australian producers at this present time will, I should think, require something more influential than overt Mr C. R. Valentine’s name and promises. “ Nothing will do more to create confidence in the financial position of the several colonies than for it to be seen in financial circles here that colonial produce is being distributed first hand and without excessive charges, which have been amongst the greatest drawbacks to development in past trade, ’’ continues the ex-expert. Then “the chief offices of the company will be in London, with branches in the leading distributing centres. Trade in colonial meat on the Continent will have to be cultivated, which can best be done by consignments ex London, which the company will undertake.” I should like to know what Mr Valentine knows about the meat trad©

and its Continental possibilities. That the best method of Continental distribution is " via London "is open to very grave doubt, and it is quite on the cards that direct shipments to Hamburg and Trieste will be in vogue before Mr Valentine's company has spread its net abroad.

The next item in Mr Valentine's very vague advance prospectus reads thus : " Arrangements will be made for a representative from each colony to be on the board, to be selected from the respective consignors or by the several Agents-General." Surely a foolish proposition. The first essential to the success of such a scheme as that proposed by Mr Valentine is that every man on the directorate shall bo thoroughly acquainted with the " ins and outs " of the distributing trade at this end of the world, and shall be on the spot. The mention of selection of directors by Agents General is simply shoved in to give the scheme a flavour of Government patronage, which it certainly has not received so far.

" One of the chief objects will be to regulato supplies on the market, and being practically a producers' company it will prevent the sacrificing of produce when the market is temporarilyglutted." But surely Mr Valentine, if youir company " proves the secret of regulating supply " tho market will never be " temporarily glutted "? Mr Valentine has yet another lump of sugar to offer colonists. He says " that as the company will represent solely producers' interests, and they will nominate a director from each colony, there should be no occasion for a Government trade representative on this side." Vou see the point? No expert's salary to pay out of rates and taxes.

Finally :—" Tho united action of tho several colonies, especially as regards dairy produce, will ensure t!ie success (sic) of a well regulated supply—the basis of good prices. The whole output from the combined colonies, if properly regulated, is nothing compared to the demand."

The promotion of the company, Mr Valentine says, " is progressing favourably ;" but he does not 3ay where the promotion is going on. Presumably it is in London, since the inceptor of the scheme is here.

Perhaps it would be better to leave criticism of the scheme till such time as Mr Valentine has reduced it to a businesslike prospectus. At present it is simply a huge vapoury Frankenstein, of which not even those doomed creatures, the commission agents, seem in the least afraid. "When Tooley street begins to regard Mr Valentine seriously I shall begfin to believe in his company.