The Opunake Times. TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1896. BUTTER EXPORT.

Opunake Times, Volume IV, Issue 194, 12 May 1896, Page 2

The Opunake Times. TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1896. BUTTER EXPORT.

The Victorian Minister of Agriculture bas been giving some practical assistance to the dairy industry in that colony, and we are indebted to tbe Yea Chronicle for the following particulars : " Since Mr Taverner assumed, tbe post of Minister of Agriculture constant pressure has been brought to bear upon him by the Victorian Dairymen's Aesoc : ation and the farming representatives in Parliament to press tbe P. and 0. and Orient companies for a reduction in tbe heavy freight charges on perishable produce. Mr Taverner promised to do all he could, and unavailingly tried to get the big steamship companies to lower their charges, failing which he called tendsrs in London for an alternative service, but did not fare any better. Theu, with a perseverance and doggedness not often found associated in the person of a Cabinet Minister, he commenced negotiations with the owners of the Aberdeen and Lund lines of steamers, and has at length succeeded. Now, will it be believed that some of those who exerted the most pressure on the Minister to accomplish this—the representatives of the Western District factories —are already declaring their intention of stickiog by the big companies which have fleeced them in the past ? Some of the butter exporting agents—for reasons best known to themselves, are making common cause with the P. and 0. and Orient companies, and in order to circumvent their tactics the Minister of Agriculture has now arranged for advances not alone to the dairy factories, but also on,all farmers lots that are considered good enough for the government mark of approval. When the butter has been branded with the government stamp guaranteeing its quality, the agents (J. Sanderson and Co, aud Dalgetty aod Co.) will make the advances to the butter factory directors, or if they prefer it to their agents iu Melbourne, pending its sale in London. Only the ordinary rates of exchauge between Melbourne and Loudon will be charged and iuterest will not be charged on the advance until 60 days after the butter has been landed in London. After the expiry of the 60 days interest at the rate of 5 per cent will be charged. The* advantages which the Minister claims for this arrangement are, that it will give the Aberdeen and Lund's a direct interest in the butter placed on board their' steamers and cause thefti to see that every care is taken to laud the batter in good condition in London ; and next, that it will give the butter factories, so far as the export trade is concerned, an opportunity of dispensing with agents or middlemen iu Melbourne. Mr Taverner points out that the account sales of the butter in London will, under this arrangement, be forwarded through tue shipping companies mentioned to the butter factories, so that they can see for themselves what the butter realised, and not be dependent, on the figures seat them by their agent. Any individual butler exporter or dairyman can avail himse'f of the arrangement which the agents of the Aberdeen and Lund's lines are prepared to enter into with shippers of butter, and it is not to be confiued to butter factories only. Mr Taverner intends issuing a circular to the various factories and exporters of butter, giving thorn official iutiniation'of these very liberal terms, and asking them iu their own interests to ship their butter in future by the Aberdeen and Lund's lines. We trust he will be backed up in his earnest endeavors to secure fair play for the producers of the colony. If they let this opportunity slip by, they may have to wait a long time before they get such anothor chance as Mr Taverner baa obtained for them.