MARKETING DAIRY PRODUCE.

Shannon News, 10 July 1923, Page 1

MARKETING DAIRY PRODUCE.

The Hon. W. Nosworthy, the Minister of Agriculture, and Mr. J. B. Mac Ewan, the head of the well known form of. export merchants, Messrs. Mac Ewan and Co., are involved in a discussion in regard to the Danish System of marketing dairy products, which is arousing considerable interest on account of the bearing it . has on the proposed “ dairy pool.” The subject first obtained prominence from the Minister’s reply to & question put to him in the House by Mr. W. H. Field, who wanted to know all about the Danish system. Mr. Nosworthy told the member for btaki that a few of the Danish dairies sold their product Aveekly to firms in Great Britain; that another part was bought by Danish exporting firms and that what remained was generally consigned to wholesale houses in Great Britain for sale on commission The Minister .also stated that the Copenhagen Quotation Committee fixed the weekly prices to buyers. Mr. Mac Ewan’s i attention having been drawn to Mr. Nosworthy’s reply, he stated in the course of an interview that he thought ,the Minister had been misinformed when dealing with Mr. Field’s question. He had been assured definitely iand in precise terms by the managing idirector of the Danish United Dairies that the dairies were persistent sellers •from week to week at th© highest possible price. They did not favour consigning and comparatively little of their produce left their shores unsold. iTh e Copenhagen Committee did not ; fix the weekly prices to buyers, as Mr. Nosworthy had been informed. There had been confusion somewhere. The Committee merely arranged the prices to be paid to the factories for th© previous week’s sales. He quote an extract from an address delivered by Mr. Ruddick in confirmation of his first statement. In a communication to the “ Post ” on Saturday, Mr. Nosworthy stated that his information was obtained from an official source “which could not be looked upon as being otherwise than reliable and authoratitive.” Then.h© thinks that Mr. Mac Ewan has read too much into his answer to Mr. Field. He said that a, few of the dairies sold to, firms in Great Britain and that, “ another part” was bought by Danish = exporting firms, but Mr. Mac Ewan had assumed that “ another part ” meant only a “ few more.” Mr. Nosworthy does not make his point clear, but apparently his purpose is to admit after all that very little Danish butter is consigned for sale on commission. Interviewed, Mr. Mac Ewan said he had not the least intention to imply that Mr. Nosworthy, for whom he had a high personal regard, had wilfully mis-stated the position. But he still was satisfied the officers of the Minister’s department had been misled in regardtotheesaentlal facte.