BUTTER.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 17 March 1927, Page 8

BUTTER.

VESTED INTERESTS’ OUTBURST. “SCARED' THE GOVERNMENT.’’ By Telegraph—Press Association. HAMILTON, March 16. Interviewed on the dairy position to-day, Mr Dynes Fulton, chairman of directors of the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Co., said that once again the vested interests opposed to control had resorted to hysterical denunciations of the Board in an endeavour to stampede the producers of the country. They undoubtedly had utterly failed, as on all previous occasions, when such attempts had been made. Unfortunately, they succeeded in scaring the Government, which, in this instance, held the balance of power on the Control Board. An examination of the position showed how bankrupt of any foundation this latest outburst of vested interests was. The country had been treated to the spectacle of glaring posters and newspaper headlines, yet what was the peg on which all this sensation hung? Merely the statement of a “prominent marketing authority,” who, be it particularly noted, advisedly remained anonymous, to the effect that the present butter position was a fiasco. The whole of this alleged trouble was laid at the door of the unfortunate Control Board. It must be obvious to all sane producers that the present condition of affairs, in so far as that condition may he unsatisfactory, was solely due to the inefficiency of the non-contiol system under which our produce was held last year. “It is,” continued Mr Fulton, unnecessary for me to traverse in detail the essential facts so ably set forth by Mr Grounds in two statements he made, but I recommend every producer in the Dominion to read every word of these statements and thoroughly digest them. Mr Fulton emphasised that the Control Board had only been in operation, in so far as actual control was concerned, since September last, and at the inception of its operations it found itself faced with a huge accumulation of old season’s produce, the direct results of non-control conditions. It applied itself to overcoming t*lie handicap, and Mr Fulton felt sure it was only the obvious prospect of its success that prompted the present outburst. Vested interests were endeavouring to see that the principle of co-operative marketing did not get a chance to he tried out, realising that its success would be a severe blow to themselves. If, added the speaker, recent happenings served no other purpose, they had at least shown the farmer just exactly where he stood.

FURTHER FALL IN PRICES. MARKET STAGNANT. By Telejr«npl: -Press Association. AUCKLAND, March 16. Butter is . being quoted on the London market at 146 to 148 s, -and cheese at 76s to 78s, according; to advice by cablegram received at one o’clock to-day by the chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board, Mr W. Grounds, who is at present in Auckland. The advice added that produce was moving slowly, and it was evident that big buyers were holding off the market. Mr Grounds said the Board anticipated that there would be a considerable fall in prices before a sales basis was reached. The decline was serious, however, and in tho case of butter particularly so. The last prices named for butter by the Board before the change in policy were 158 sto 160 s, against 146 s and 148 s at latest advice, a decline oi 12s witljin about two; days. The decline in the case of cheese was 6s to 7s.

“Mv personal view is, as the country knows, that it whs disastrous to abandon price fixing,” said Mr Grounds. -

Asked how he proposed to reconcile a clearance of a large weekly quota; with fixed prices, Mr Grounds said: “I will, not discuss that pointy now. Tho Board has taken thjy view that Bales musff be made, and has removed price restriction. I must support the policy of the Board, and I intend to use my best endeavours to secure a, maximum of success under the new policy.” “What arc the prospects?”—“Well, no man could venture a confident opinion at the moment. All that I can say is that the market appears stagnant at the moment. We shall have to await events for a workable basis.”-