NEW ZEALAND BUTTER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7446, 22 May 1911, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND BUTTER

A "BEAR”’ MOVEMENT. A cable message from New Zealand* Fays a London correspondent, published iu London this week, attributes Aho drop iu price of New Zealand butter 'to the’ awakening of the British consumer .to -ho fact that the butter is frozen—the awakening being attributed to the recent oooming oi iNew Zealand butter in London. _ This is a very inadequate explanation of tho low t prices (remarks the correspondent) obtained this season for New Zea.aiuL butter. There may bo something in. it, for British, ignorance and British weiudico in regard to frozen produce are .till amazingly widespread. But if so, it is only part of a larger factor in tho .•eduction of price—namely, a "bear/ - ' movement against New Zealand butter in •London, The National Dairy AssociaAon of- Now- Zealand, representing a urge * number of factories in the Do.‘.inion, placed its butter this season in Sh& -hands of four firms for disposal, withdrawing its custom from old-estab-lished and influential firms which had been handling New Zealand butter for many years. By this action the association aroused the hostility of the firms which had been passed over, and as a consequence there has been, a set made against New Zealand butter on the Home market. There seems little doubt that the complaints mado some weeks ago about-fishiness in New Zealand butter may bo attributed to tho bear movement against the article, for tho complaints were very vague, and although various factories were mentioned particular shipments of butter were not indicated. Besides. each .salesman who had heard of fishiness in New Zealand butter was careful to explain that it was not in the butter ho was handling, but elsewhere. Possibly the appeal to British prejudice on the subject of the freezing of butter is connected with the hostility shown towards tho Now Zealand article this season. Another cause of tho drop I in prices is said to be > that the four j firms which got scr much of the Now I Zealand /trade soon had their hands full, • and had to engage brokers to help them j sell, the result being that in some cases . tho prices obtained were distinctly low ; in view of the high quality of tho butj ter. Tho above statement in regard to the "bear” movement, owing to the opposition to the National Dairy Association's scheme, / has already been made in these .columns. Tho London -correspondent 'makes.a mistake, however, in saying that the association has four agents; it has only one.