BUTTER MARKETING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18584, 19 December 1934, Page 15

BUTTER MARKETING

ENGLISH FIRM’S PROTEST BOARD CHAIRMAN’S REPLY (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Interviewed regarding the cable message which refers to an advertisement by Messrs. Aplin and Barrett, an English firm, who contend that the margin in price between Danish and Empire butters is due to legislative measures, and’ to importers having been prevented from speculative buying, Mr. VV. A. lorns, chairman of the Dairy Board, said the so-called “legislative” measures referred to are evidently the agreement for more orderly marketing come to between the United Kingdom Importers’ Association and the Dairy Beard, under which importers handling New Zealand butter and cheese on consignment- undertook not to speculate in New Zealand butter and cheese.

This stipulation had been recognised by the Dairy Commission as very desirable, and has been approved of by the importers' themselves). Wholesale importers and merchants such as Messrs. Aplin and Barrett are not prevented frotn speculative buying if they desire to do’ so.

No connection can be proved between the marketing regulation, referred to and the price of Danish butter, as the difference in price between Danish and New. Zealand butters 12 months ago, yd ion no Regulations existed, was practically the same as to-day. The supply of Danish butter largely determines its price, and with Danish butter in very short supply to t day the margin between it and New, Zealand was correspondingly large. The firm whose advertisement was 'referred to were strongly opposed to the institution of the marking order, in which Dominion interests sought to make it compulsory to mark New Zealand and Australian butters with the name of the country of origin. This firm consistently refrained from advertising New Zealand and Australian butter as such, and was one of, if not the 1 largest blenders of butter in Great Britain. The Dairy Board considers that one way in which tho margin in price between New Zealand and Danish can be lessened is by New Zealand butter being sold under 'its own name.