A Few Lessons from the Past Butter Season. 727 



bad influence was done; circulars were sent to all the butter factories 

 and exporters advising tiiem to brand their boxes " New Season's 

 Butter," a recommendation which was adopted. It was rumored 

 during the season that some of the old butter was similarly branded 

 after reaching London, but this has not yet been verified. Those 

 factories whose stored brands had a deservedly high reputation were 

 peculiarly liable to injury, lor, as before stated, the butter was not 

 prepared for export in the usual way, and having been kept in store 

 for a long time before shipment must have interfered with the sale of 

 those brajids later on in the season. Butter factories were circularised 

 by the Department on this subject, both before the season commenced 

 and on numbers of pievious occasions. It was pointed out that the 

 butter might be sold conditionally as not made for export, but this 

 was hardly practicable, for when a person buys butter or other goods 

 it is his pro[)erty and may be sold again by such purchaser or 

 despatched to London or elsewhere as he pleases. There is no 

 authority or law to prevent this being done, nor is there likely to be, 

 so it was recommended that all factories should have a distinct brand 

 for the local market and another for the export trade. The latter, of 

 course, would be reserved for dii-ect export business by the factory 

 itself Vested interests stand in the way in the shape of a recognised 

 reputable brand of long standing, but although some sacrifice will have 

 to be made to overcome the difficulty, this is the true remedy. 



It is improbable that butter speculators will forget their recent 

 loss of over £3o,"000, and it is not likely that the experience will crop 

 up again for many years to come. In the meantime, however, a 

 deterrent might be applied in the shape of a brand such as " Stored 

 Butter" going on all lots in store, say over three months before ship- 

 ment. Fresh legislation is slow and advisedly so. It is not easy to 

 get a law or regulation passed unless the occasion for it arises in a 

 pronounced manner. 



When the Exported Pioducts' Act, 1898, was passed, it was pro- 

 vided that, on the despatch of butter to a cool store for shipment, 

 notice should be sent to the officer in charge of the cool store. A 

 cul-de-sac was thus reached when the butter was sent through outside 

 cool stores, and the butter might be shipped with impunity without 

 the knowledge of the Department. In facta striking case did actuallj^ 

 occur early in the season, and that experience brought about the 

 adoption of a regulation making it obligatory on all shippers to give 

 due notice to the ofiicei' in charge of the Government Cool Stores. 



Now the position is clear on this point, and an expression of 

 opinion is desirable on the method of dealing with stored butters prior 

 to shipment, since it is clear the practice is detrimental to the dairying 

 industry of Victoria. 



Re-Opening Business Connections. 



A great handicap was experienced this last season on account of 

 Victorian butter having been practicall}' oflE' the London market the 

 previous year. To be unrepresented on the home markets for seven 



