EMPIRE PRODUCE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18499, 11 September 1934, Page 11

EMPIRE PRODUCE

MARKET IN ENGLAND

DUMPING BY CONTINENT

“The salvation of the primary industries of Australia and New Zealand lies in the co-operation of the tw<? countries in all matters ot' bargaining with Britain,” said Mr 11. M. Russell) chairman of the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, in an interview in Auckland. Mr Russell is returning to Australia after a five months’ busines trip to Europe ,anil Canada. -Nothing was likely to be done concerning the quota situation until the Ottawa agreement expired, said Mr Russell. Meanwhile Britain was taking definite steps towards the development of h dairy industry in Britain. Warned by the situation that arose during the war, every effort was being made to make Britain more independent of the outside world. Further, unemployment had been materially reduced by the present move. Great strides were being made with the milk and pig industries. , The butter situation in England was at the moment being very materially affected by the large quantifies of Baltic produce from such countries as Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Even Norway was putting butter on the English market. Much of this was caused by the German embargo on imported, butter. Evidence ot dumping was forthcoming from -the fact that in the case of Dutch butt-fir, while the price was only 50s per cwt. in Britain, the domestic price was as much as 190 s. In Denmark the domestic price was double that obtained in the British market.

Speaking of a general misconception as to the method of placing Empire butter on the Home market, Mr Russell -said he had the evidence of his own experience that the- large retail companies in England placed three grades of butter on the market. The first grade was invariably Danish and the-second Empire, consisting of blends of butters from the Dominions. This second butter'was undoubtedly true to description. Finally, there was a third grade, known as creamery, which consisted of foreign butters blended with a proportion of the Empire produce. Most of the patting was done in the shops "and the customer could satisfy himself taht the butter was actually, ot the origin claimed.