PRICE OF BUTTER

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16258, 8 July 1918, Page 4

PRICE OF BUTTER

MINISTER'S CAUSTIC CRITICISM,

"AN UNFRIENDLY ACT." '

The Hon. TV. D. S. Mac Donald, interviewed on the dairying industry by the "Wanganui Chronicle," severely criticised tho purpose of a recent delegation of New Zealand dairymen to Australia. That delegation included the . president .of tho j.n ational Dairy Association. The delegation met tne federal Butter Committee in Sydney, and that committee after discussion decided that it would tako no action with respcct to the disposal of Australian butter to tho Imperial Government# without oonsulting tlio New Zealand Btttfcer Committee, consisting of the members of the National l>auy Association ; xurtner the l'cderal- Butter Committee agreed with the New Zealand delegates that if the Imperial Government was offered the Australian. butter the price would be a minimum of 175s per owt f.o.b. Australian ports, instead ui" 15'ls per cwt., the previous price, with .which, it was stated, Australian dairy farmers were satisfied. The Now Zealand delegates then returned, and finally, it was resolved that instead of offering their butter to the Imperial Government at loTs per cwt.,- as last season, they should ask 1965, with alterations in their own favour as to insurance and storage. He considered, ho said, that for a delegation to proceed to Australia and get Australians to,raise their butter prices against the English Government under such conditions—when England was bleeding to death for the liberty of all living under tho British flag—it was a most inequitable thing to' do.

' YELLING ABOUT TRUSTS." He noticed with very great regret the report of a speech made by tho president- of the National Dairy Association at Palmerston North, who had stated that the delegation had gone to Australia to urge the dairy people of Australia to increase the price of butter to the English Government. England had ajTanged for shipping, and had provided storage, and yet some of our farmers want to Australia, and told them what to do. These Were the people who were yelling now about trusts. The action of those he had under review was' now made worse, by reason of the fact that Australia was up against many difficulties in respect to the cost of living. It certainly appeared an unfriendly act on the part of any person in this country to attempt to urge Australian dairy people to put up prices against the Imperial Government, particularly when we realise how splendidly the Imperial Government had treated in purchasing the produce of this country. Moreover, the. New Zealand Government had assisted in every possible way to see that, the growers received a fair price for their produce, and he (the Minister) was strongly of opinion that the great majority of the producers were Satisfied ■with, what had been. done. Under the circumstances, . therefore, lie did not think that the delegation who went to Australia to urge increased butter prices had the authority of the producers in New Zealand.

"The New Zealand Government," continued the Minister, "have had large commercial transactions with Australia during the past few years, and were still engaged in commercial transactions of vital importance to both countries, and actions such as mentioned are not calculated to assist us in our business relations with the Australian Government, but they create difficulties wliich. wc should not be called upon to £aaa."- s ...