THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY

Otago Witness, Issue 2735, 15 August 1906, Page 9

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY

THE HIGH PRICE OF BUTTER* AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW. flTsoM Oub Own Coues?oki>znt.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 10. Mr S. Lowe, maniger ot the dairy pi-o-duce branch of Weddell and Co.'s business, is at present in Christchurch, and was interviewed to-day by a Press representative onthe subject of the butter, market and New Zealand butter generally. "I doubt very much," said Mr JLowe, in reply to a remark as to the high price of butter, "whether the butter that is being bought here is not a speculative transaction rather than a genuine sale to --people in- England. In regard to probable supplies, when I left England in 4he beginning . <A June- the_ only country 'that was likely to sKow any falling off was the United States. But they are very erratic, and that falling-off cannot be sufficient to warrant .the high prices. The present prices prohibit the retail of JNew Zealand butter in England under, 14d per lb, and there is always the danger that when you get these high- prices for butior people will turn to cheaper substitutes, such as margarine, etc., as- they did in January last, and brought about the big slump. It is tru!B that the consuming power of the people is now greater than it was 12 months ago, but it is also equally true that meat is much cheaper than it was last year, and this will prejudicially effect the. price of cheese as well as butter., I think those factory managers who" have got l(#d per lb for their butter, f.o.bT, have done wisely in accepting that price, and it will "not surprise me to find that before the .month is overmuch values will be unattainable. "Looking at this forward business from the English point of view, the buyers there will recognise that the present price is most abnormal, and* many of them will undoubtedly prefer to wait and run the risk of the values ruling when the butter reaches the market." What about the question oLjmoisture in butter? / "In regard to moisture in -butter*, the experts and authorities in New Zealand doubt whether New Zealand butter would keep as well as it now does if there were more water in it. It is said that the water with which a large portion of the better is is not so pure" as 'the experts -could wish. This would cause the butter to deteriorate if there were more in it than at present. If this is sq,~ then, I say, by all means keep your butter as dry as it is now. If, on the other hand, it is found by experience that the butter will keep equally as Well with 2 or 3 £er cent, more moisture in it, then it appears to me fo be asking j human nature to do more than is reasonable to give away 2s 3d per cwt for the sake of a theory. But the keeping quality must be maintained before everything." Is there any truth in the statement that high prices are given for our butter because of its suitability for blending purposes? " Undoubtedly it is largely purchased because of its dvyness. They manipulate it by blending it with butter wifh more water in it, and adding water, to it. It is made up into pound rolls, and sold 'as fresh butter, this term in England meaning vory slightly salt. But even your salted butter is never sold as New Zealand. The reason is that consumers — at least, not 10 per cent, of them— dcr not know there is such a thing in existence as New Zealand butter in England. If the New Zealand Government would only ■ bring to the notice of tho consumers t 1 at there is such a thing purchasable in hngland, and that it is of very high quality, then consumers would ask for it, and grocers and other butter men would keep it in their shops and placard it as such. Private businesses, &ueh as Xestlc's milk, have created a large demand by advertising their goodfe to the public in an attractive form. If tho New Zealand Government were to spend £10,000 or £20,000 on coloured posters on the style of Nes£lo's it would do the butter industry an immense amount of good. Every consumer in England knows that Danish butter is good, and if they knew equally well that . New Zealand produced such excellent butter they would nafurally ask for it. I have never known a period during the last 50 years when there was ar more kindly feeling or a more eager desire to holo the colonies than at the present moment. The time, therefore, is very opportune to advertise your butter. I want the difference between faking and blending butter made clear. Faking butter means N mixing butter with other fats, such as cocoanut oil, stearine, margarine, and other .similar substances; and I say that any man who mixes any fat with butter and sells it as genuino butter bhould bo sent to prison without the option of a fine. Nothing lcs« than some such drastic means will ever stop j this fakin?, because the profits are 6O enormous. Blending, however, is quite a different thing, and it is an absolute necessity in England. Formerly we had to eat la* mem' butter, which varied in quality every week; and to get over this difficulty blending was resorted to, by which means aregular standard of quality is kept up the wholo year round. This is satisfactory to the consumer and equally satisfactory to the retailer, because there aro no com- ' plaints. It may interest New Zealand readers to know that the highest price brought by any butter' in the British market i<s that for French butter, every ounce of which i» blended: and there are many thousand tons of it imported into England : and retailed at 16d to 18d per lb." j In the course of further conversation Mr ' Lowe 6aid that so far ac he had ~se«n there wa« great room for impro\ement in the dairy herein in New Zealand. " The dairy farmer should breed for milk and not for beef. Too many of them bre^d their cows with tho idea that when they fail as milkers they will make more money for the butcher, au<l aUo that their store stock will be more suiublo for the grazier. The first cross between the Jersey and shorthorn HotetcLn or Avrthire will make a good dany cow, as tho .Jersey will improve the quality of the mjlk. You want some expeiiment stations wjjeic tj»e crojypg of £he cliff eve ut Dr.ee.ds

could be carried out and farmers ahown, which are the most, profitable- cows. It would undoubtedly be a good thing to import some of the fine milking strains of .shorthorns from England to improve the shorthorn stock- you nave, and make them , sti'l more suitable for crossing^ purposes. I " OHRISTOHUROH, August la j Butter here is selling retail at from Is 46? ! to Is 5d per lb. This, with the high price of meat and living generally, is the subject; • of remark among working men, and an { agitation is mooted to urge, the Arbitration ( Court to take the matter into consideration, I in making future wages awards.