CONTROL OF BUTTER

Southland Times, Issue 20488, 16 May 1928, Page 3

CONTROL OF BUTTER

IRISH POOL EXPERIMENT. PROTESTS FROM RETAILERS. London, March 6. It is proposed that the Irish Free State butter shall come under some form of control. Already the retailers are protesting for they say that they see in the new organization a repetition on a smaller scale of the New Zealand experiment. A correspondent writing to the Grocer says:

“I am informed that the output of 80 per cent, of the creameries in the Irish Free State will be handled by a new company called the Irish Amalgamated Creameries. This company will be the only outlet for these creameries, and all shipments must be made through them, and they will control the prices and quantities. In the past the advantage of handling Irish creamery butter has been that we have been able to obtain it in England within a few days of its being made, but under the proposed scheme all butter will be sent to the large ports, such as Dublin, and then cold stored or shipped as the board decides. “One would have thought that our Irish friends would have realized that the British retailer would not have this interference with his trade, but it is evident that they prefer to push a control on the face of the opposition made to the New Zealand control. I noticed a statement made by the secretary of the Irish Amalgamated Creameries which appeared in your journal some time ago, that the object of the scheme was to ensure better transport facilities, but, in my opinion, it is simply a scheme to control prices and shipments.”

“I am sure we retailers have already had sufficient of controls, and suggest that if this scheme does come into force, as it is stated it will on April 2, we only handle butter from Colonies which are not controlled. The sale of Irish Free State butter constitutes only 10 per cent, of the butter consumed in Great Britain, and this small quantity can be done without by the retailers.”