OUR ENGLISH CUSTOMERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 424, 15 November 1930, Page 13 (Supplement)

OUR ENGLISH CUSTOMERS

The grant of money by the Empire Marketing Board to the New Zealand Dairy Research Institute for an investigation of defects in cheese texture is another reminder of the importance of this problem. Wc are sending millions of pounds worth of cheere to Britain every year, but, the reputation of our product has declined, and with the increase in competition on the English market, the decline may involve the Dominion in serious loss. There has been a great deal of discussion locally about standardisation and other aspects of the problem, but the ruling factor in the whole business has not been given the prominence it deserves. This is the taste of the English customer. As Lord Bledisloc pointed out the other .day. everything finally depends upon the customers’ desire; New Zealand must supply what, the British people wanted, or go to the. wall. It is no use the industry, <rr sections of it, saying this or that cannot be done; if it is necessary to do it in order to win the favour of the British consumer, then it must be done. It. is a common complaint in New Zealand that British manufacturers do not study sufficiently the requirements of the New Zealand market. The same obligation is upon us to study the wants of the English market. We may thin], tho English consumer is mistaken, or that his taste is poor, but we must give him what, he wants. This factor must condition all research here, and the sooner this research is completed the better.—Auckland Star.