Mr Harkness's Visit Home.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 109, 29 June 1911, Page 3

Mr Harkness's Visit Home.

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The real' object of Mf iJ Harknoss’s visit to England is now iih open secret. It was to form a- : '“trust” including the whole of the'butter and cheese from New Zealand.' To work tins, of course, it was' necessary to secure the big moneyed firms of the trade as members of the’ “trust,” but luckily for New Zealand they would not entertain the proposal for one moment. Lot us make the scheme plain. *lt was. that th 3 whole of tire output of both butter and cheese should go forward to the''firms in the “trust” on open consignment, and only through the National Dairy Association. Last'year at least fifteen thousand tons of hatter and cheese went Home on consignment without recourse, at a price equal to 57s for cheese and lids for butter for the whole season. The factories who had the good sense to take these guaranteed advances have thus luckily escaped the terrible loss of £6 a ton which the open consignors have had to endure. We have not heard that there has boon any arrangement made, and are quite certain no such arrangement could be made, seeing what a largo amount of without recourse business is done by the leading firms in the trade.'' For twenty years some of our leading factories have shipped their 'outputs without recourse, with most Satisfactory results. Surely three per cent commission is sulficiont to allow strong linns to give the guarantee without recourse. But a rebate and a' guarantee both could not lie I 'expected, and would not ho given h}*’ any 'firm'. To do away with the guarantee''.was ho' doubt clearly the object; of ’the vifeit, so as to force all business dii open consignment through the Association. In view of the frightful losses that wore made last year, we arc sure that everyone with any commonsonse will rejoice that the mission was a failure. Wo make this declaration altogether apart from the fact that the,proposed" “trust” was perhaps a “combine in restraint of trade.” The reason of the half per cent is perfectly obvious: It is to provide billets for a few of the men who have boon hanging on to tho industry for years, in the hope of sooner or later annexing one of the fat billets. Of course, they know that the guarantee without recourse is the safest policy in the intorosto of the farmers, but. as i( does not include rebate to pay' the salaries of the men in tho fat billets, it is no good to them.” ,