THE BUTTER MARKET.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 23, 12 September 1911, Page 6

THE BUTTER MARKET.

DIRECT EXPORT POLICY: ' “NEW ZEALAND’S GAMBLING SYSTEM.” At a conference of representatives of Australian co-operative butter factories, held in Sydney recently, Mr H. W. Roberts (representing the Western Districts Co. of Victoria), speaking on the direct export policy, said they had had experience of direct export from the inception of the trade. Their factories had proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that direct export was the most payable in seven years out of ten. Local selling had proved most, disastrous to New Zealand factories. He had compared the balancesheets of New Zealand factories for five years, and not one of them paid the same average price as had the cooperative factories in Victoria. Last year h? had compared the balancesheets of thirty New Zealand factories with thirty Victorian, and on the average tiie Victorian factories paid per lb more for the year. The gambling local selling system of New Zealand, which was brought about absolutely by grade stamping, had not proved profitable'to the producers. The farmers in Victoria fixed the price a t which their produce should be sold, and the position could be won in London, as it had been in Australia, if producers were true to co-operative principles. The weakness was the factories that split consignments with speculative agents. His directors refused to accept split consignments. It rested with the factories to consolidate the position. After several delegates had spoken on the question, the following resolution was carried unanimously:—“That this representative gathering of delegates from co-operative factories within the State, having now had considerable experience of the system of direct export, pledges itself to uphold in its entirety that policy throughout the coming season.”