VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1934, Page 9

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

VIEWS ON CURRENT TOPICS MARKETING OF DAIRY PRODUCE. COMMENT ON PRESENT POSITION. (To the Editor.) Sir, —As a result of the New Zealand Dairy Produce Control Board being approached last year by the New Zealand Dairy Produce Importers’ Association of London, complaining that forward selling of consignments f.0.b.-c.i.f. and purchasing by consignments agents on their own account were creating a harmful effect on the marketing of oyr dairy produce, regulations designed to create a better feeling between agents and factories, and more orderly marketing, were brought into operation on August 1. Under these regulations all agents handling New Zealand dairy produce were licensed, and if they should at any time infringe these regulations they would, I take it, stand a very good chance of having their license cancelled. Clause (1) of the new regulations stipulates that all importers must be consignment agents only, as far as New Zealand dairy produce is concerned—that is, they may not buy in New Zealand or afloat on their own account All sales f.O.b. or c.i.f. are to be on factories’ account. Clause (8) fixes the commission on landed sales at 2J per cent., and on f. 0.8. or c.i.f. sales at 1J per cent Naturally an agent would prefer to sell produce his firm is handling when it is landed, and get his 2J per cent, commission, rather than pay for a client and get only 1J per cent., and the better return he gets for the factory he is acting for the greater the remuneration he earns himself. So he would, of course, do his best to retain the goodwill of his client and also obtain a better profit. At the present time the Control Board fixes the minimum price at which butter and cheese can be sold f.0.b., and in my opinion is, in fixing the minimum value, especially for cheese, at a much lower price than the spot value, placing factories in a position or being able to undersell, and so break the market. On . the 9th. inst. the spot price of cheese was 54s for white and 54s 6d for coloured, a price that would show a nett return to factories of 6d a lb for cheese, or 124 d for butter-fat, and the minimum price fixed by the Control Board for f.o.b. and c.i.f. sales was 5 l-Bd, or 46s per cwt. Sales were actually made by factories at s|d, or 48s per cwt. In other words, although the -agents were expected to hold the market at 545, if they sold produce forward at a lower price than the then market value they would be breaking faith .with the Control Board, and would probably have their license cancelled. And this was despite the fact that the board was allowing factories to sell shipments to arrive at as much as 6s per cwt. under market value and by so doing actually inviting the agent’s customer to buy in New Zealand, and so take competition off the spot market at the expense of the agent. Is it not reasonable to assume that th? Tooley Street in order to protect himself against losing his customer, who would prefer to buy in New Zealand at a lower price than he can buy on the spot market, would lower the price for produce to somewhere round about the value placed on it by the New Zealand Control Board, and has this not actually happened in the last few weeks? In conversation with 'Mr. Walter Green, our representative on the Control Board, I learned that Mr. Dynes Fulton, deputychairman, and Mr. Brash, secretary of the Control Board, were appointed. a committee to fix the f.o.b. price weekly at which butter and cheese can be sold. I believe that only 25 of 26 Tooley. Street firms handling New Zealand dairy produce are members of the New Zealand Importers’ Association, the other firm being Empire Dairies Ltd., of which Mr. William Goodfellow is the head. It is through this firm that the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Co. Ltd., of (Vhich Mr. Dynes Fulton is chairman of directors, markets its produce. It would be interesting to learn if Mr. Dynes Fulton is in accord with the new regulations that were brought into operation on the suggestion of the Importers’ Association. If the new regulations are to be of any benefit to the industry it will be necessary for the Control Board to cooperate with the Tooley Street merchants, but if on the other hand the board itself does not approve of the regulations it is certainly going the right ’ way to create a collapse of the scheme — I am, etc., S. E. HAWKE. Tataraimaka, Nov. 30. BOWLING GREEN CRITICISI.:. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Your contributor “Running Shot,” has seen fit in Thursday’s issue to comment father severely on the "condition of the Vogeltown, bowling green. As the Gilmour Cup fixture to which he refers was against West End, we can only assume that he is a West End player. As indicating that the views he expressed are not held by the members of his club generally, it may be stated that in addition to the Gilmour Cup match, which he mentions, the Vogeltown Club had the pleasure of entertaining'four rinks from West End on Saturday last, and might .have experienced this pleasure again on Saturday next had circumstances allowed. The Vogeltown Club is not concerned with “Running comments, nor is it disposed to accept his advice. It recognised, before "the visit of its self-appointed adviser, that the green was heavy. It expected, and was not disappointed, to observe the quick response, after two days’ rain, to certain manorial treatment -which had been applied, and while recognising that defects are always present, is hopeful in the near future of having a surface that will satisfy even the taste of “Running Shot.” It is also hopeful that should any of its members find a sister club’s greens not to their liking they will have the courtesy, to- refrain from criticism through the public Press.—l am, ets?., C. W. REUBE. Greenwarden, Vogeltown Bowling Club. A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY. (To the Editor.) Sir,—ln reference to the tit-bit of information in Saturday last’s supplement mentioning that a Mr. J. D. HowsonCrawford, Laird of Braehead, pays as annual rent a basin and ewer of clean water to the King, it is interesting to/ know the origin of the grant. I stumbled on the information a few weeks ago. ‘ King James the saxt of -Scotland was, s I think, in 1610 or thereabouts, enjoying the pleasures of the hunt on his Royal demesnes near Crieff. Midday arrived, and with it the pangs of hunger. The King would eat, but would first wash, and in the absence of conveniences the then tenant offered water*and a basin, and I suppose a towel, for the Royal hands. So touched was the King by the services rendered that he then and there, with fine insouciance, granted awjiy the lands in return for, as your item mentions, a yearly basin of water, if demanded. And this has gone on for over 300 years, now.—l am, etc., HISTORICUS.