BOBBY VEAL EXPORT.

Southland Times, Issue 20773, 14 May 1929, Page 3

BOBBY VEAL EXPORT.

To the Editor.

Sir, —Your Saturday's issue contains a letter from an anonymous correspondent signing himself “Fairplay,” which is, in all good faith probably meant as a correction to some statements made by myself in a letter in connection with the inauguration of the co-operative pool principle in connection with the Bobby veal business. As your correspondent seems to be a little astray in his general ideas as to the establishment of this business I would like to have the privilege of extending his knowledge through the medium of your columns. Three years ago a Taranaki syndicate went into the question and carried out a trial shipment which proved that a definite overseas demand existed for Bobby veal and that its export could be taken up as a payable business proposition. Their effort was purely private enterprise the producers’ interest ending with the 5/- per head which the syndicate paid for all calves delivered. The following year Mr Fisher propounded bis idea of the business being handled as a co-operative effort and the Southland pooling scheme came into operation the success of which I tried to emphasize in my last letter.

As a result of Southland’s initial operations the season just closing has seen ths pooling principal adopted wholly thrpughout the South Island and to a large extent in the North Island amongst those embracing it this year in Taranaki being the freezing interests represented by the syndicate, who originally exploited the business on a proprietory basis. Under the co-operative system the breeder of the calf gets the whole of the realized value; under any other handling he gets only a small portion. All due honour and credit has been given to the original exploiters of this business but the fact remains as stated in my first letter, that Mr Fisher deserves the best thanks of New Zealand’s dairymen for so successfully introducing the co-operative principle.—l am, etC- ’ J. DUNLOP. Seaward Downs, May 13, 1929.