SHORT COMMONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 524, 3 June 1909, Page 8

SHORT COMMONS.

(l ' ■„-.. DEFICIENCY IN WINTER BUTTER i SUPPLIES. .6000 MORE BOXES WANTED. • 'Tlio quantity of surplus butter in cold istores in New Zealand. at the. end : of May, as : reported . by the Dairy ..Commissioner's., staff,, shows a shortage of about 6000 boxes (or ISO tons) below 'tho. quantity which .lait season'showed to bo necessary to meet the jvinter demand. The quantity -in tlie stores is returned as follows:—. ; 1; : - 1 j-cwt. boxes. . .. Auckland r • ... ■ \ .... ... >13,700 Now Plymouth' ...'„ ... 8,633 '' l'atea ... : • ... 2,700 .■" Wellington V .... .... 9,717 Lyttelton - "... .' 1,990 • . Duiiedin , . ... 8,407 - Total ..., 45,107 .At the end of May of last, year there were 71,479 boxes in tho stores,'but, of this quantity,- 20,000) boxes ■we're; exported during June, leaving 51,000 boxes to.be put• upon tho local markets. , . 'v, . It is probable that the', quantity of butter m store, would have been-greater if factory authorities and 1 operators had not slightly' \OVOr--estimated the probable winter, make. On the; best: evidence ' available- two . months agoj it was to . expect/a. greater' addition . .to.* the" supplies than the dairy, farmers hayo ■ 'actually furnished.-; .-Moreover, there-' was a general feeling, too; months .ago that,' owing to,;,the. low' prices ruling in 'Britain, • there■'..would.-- be a, holding :back of supplies m >.ow Zealand, and a consequent excess of juppli.es for; our .'winter/ Jn . the'efforts- 1 to; avoid this the local holders probably exported' -butter 'that was not bound by: contract to be sent :away, and butter that.,'if' tbo /present shortage had been foreseen;-would have been held. here. . . % ■ ■'

: . It is - a repetition of tho -' old, . old l .story ■ that : has , told itself over and over again.- illtlio wool market, the butter.- inair-. ,ket,. the fruit market, and niany other,mar-: kots. Good prospects attract cxccssivo supplies. Poorprospects cause a shortage'. When- 6verybody ( is told .(and bolieves) that a .certain market is -likely to bo assailed with excessive,supplies, and therefore* return : low prices,., nearly.jjverybody ; tries,"to'' a^oid-'that market. ..And then tho unexpected-' happens, and.the few nien; who: make 'it. a :riile' to -act by bontrarios scorc. Ono New. who 'is'Vof that ...turn of mind, has had good success . in marketing prbdu'ee . for which tho. outlet is local.; His general rule' is that if tho market, reports. state that supplies' are greatly-wanted at; say,; Wellington or Dun<dm, . and high :, prices. '..are certnin, te - wiil mak'o his next consignments to Christchurch; br.Mckland,Uinowin'g..that the -market report mil divert supplies! to Wellington and" Dunediri, before.' his goods could get , thore, cause !a shortage;'at the other centres. . itvis 'not absolutely certain that the supplies in' store,ivill not see New Zealand;.tbrquah; the ; winter. ■ v The' practice -of : retrenchment ;. ondeconomy which has .' /this season/hecome a fashion in commercial matters, is likely to ho as keenly active on butter as 011 anything, and perhaps more keenly. ;-;.Butter , is -the; commodity that ,is first attacked in many households when; expenses aro to be reduced, and, if. tho' local consumption - of'.butter.'.were' to be; reduced cent;-' three, •monthp, . that-'-.reaubtioh jirotdd.'.be-/sufficient' -to lessen the 'consumption of. stored, butter byj/vperhaps,; 2Q . per .cent;, vor 9000 boxes. This calculation is based on (the 1 assumption that tho currcnt makQ of . butter during tho three/mohths is equid to tho quantity fallen frbm' store.:::; The' sum may then be'stated as follows':—J" "J; ••■■i ' > Boxes Butter in store 45,000 : Current, make .45,000. , Total supply 90,000 Ordinary - requirement 100,000 Economised /by ................. 10,000 l Total need 90,000 ?. How far the abovo hits off tho whole- troth jvill, of. courso, depend on tho . inquiry (if -'any) irpm /Australialahd.-South/'Africa.-' ,-If •'these; two .rcouhtrieslet; our;. supplies/ aloiie,: -wo.liajr: apparently, :jvith .economy'," piss/, tho .winter in ' comfort: on/the visible-buttori'siip., plies.