“No Pressure By Board”

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30469, 17 June 1964, Page 1

“No Pressure By Board”

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 16. The Dairy’ Board was not, and never had been, pressing for an increase in the retail price of butter, a board spokesman said today. The spokesman '• said i report that this was beini done was “completely un true.” He said retail prices to th< consumer and the level of th< subsidy was entirely a mat ter for the Government The report said an increasi

in price was being considered to try to reduce overconsumption and wastage when New Zealand needed as much butter as possible for export. Sir Andrew Linton said today that the Dairy Board was in the process of discussing with the Government the question of the price paid to the dairy industry for butter sold on the local market, but i in these discussions it was , recognised that any Increase in the price must be purely a ’ matter for the Government. ‘The board has long argued : that the price paid to the 1 dairy farmer for butter is un- - fair and unjust, and has asked that a higher price, i based on the price level for

other New Zealand-manufac-tured goods sold on the local market; should he paid. “However, it is solely the prerogative bf the Government to say whether any increase paid to the dairy farmer should be added to the price at which butter Is sold to the public,” he said. The Deputy-Prime Minister (Mr Marshall), in an election address at Johnsonville on November 14 last, said the Government felt food subsidies should be retained. “We also have to consider the effect abolition would have on the consumers’ price index, on the cost of living, and on wage rates. We decided to leave them as they are,” Mr Marshall said.