PRICE OF BUTTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1166, 17 June 1911, Page 8

PRICE OF BUTTER.

REMOVAL OF DUTY SOUGHT. DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. Yesterday afternoon Mr. D. M'Laren, M.P., introduced to the Minister for Customs (the Hon. If. M'Konzie) a deputation from the Wellington Trades and labour Council. Mr. M'Laren said that the deputation's business was an important matter to tho working population, they had como with reference to tho price of butter. The council felt that the question of high prices was ope of exceedingly great importance. From timo to time the workers' unions were charged with being extravagant, with making claims for higher wages; but with tho forcing up of tho price of commodities the workers found it extremely diuieuU to make ends meet, and that was why the Trades am! Labour Council thought they were performing a public duty in bringing this matter up, principally as regarded the price of butter. For, after all, the value of tho ivages the workingman got was their purchasing power, not their face value. A Ring Alleged, Mr. Tonus (president of the Trades and Labour Council) said that tho council l uul appointed the deputation to interview the Minister mainly for two reasons. Firstly, ilii'", bad every reason to believe that a butter ring existed; and, secondly, the price of butter was unnecessarily high to the consumer in this city. tins rear butter, irrespective of brand, was at Is. '2d. per lb., with a rumour of it goiug up to Is. Cd. They were face to face with this fact: that the shops which were -..ol'ing a certain brand of butter last year at Is. ner lb. had been informed this vear that if they do not sell at the price' named bv tho wholesalers they cannot get that brand of butter al all. Such u state of affairs was following on the lines of the Americal Oil Trust'. In Victoria and other parts of the Commonwealth butter could be had at 9d. and lOd. per lb., while here in New Zealand, right in the heart of what may be twined the dairy industry of the world, we were called npon to pay i'mvrpenco more than the people in the Commonwealth. A local firm, he believed, had been the means of importing one hundred boxes of Australian butter on Wednesday. After paying a Half-penny a pound freight and a 20 per cent duty this butter was put on the market at Is. 2d. per lb. So, having in view all the circumstances, tho deputation, on behalf of the citizens, asked the Government to remove the duty. If the Government would not remove the duly there was an alternative in order that the people might get butter at a reasonable price. That was a State dairy. Attitude of the Farmers. Mr. F. Eeyling (secretary of tho Council) and Mr. £>. K. Pritchard also spoke. Mr. Pritchard said they had evidence that one linn had been boycotted because, they would not get into line in regard to the price of butter. Mr. \V. C. Noot (vice-president of the Council) said there was no reason why they should be short of butter in New Zealand if the Government would lift the duty. Mr. Young': "Taking off the duty might mean a loss in tho revenue, and if that is so, I would suggest put it on to the exnort butter." The Minister: "I don't suppose wo get .£2O a year from it, so it wouldn't affect tho revenue much." Mr. M'Laren made an observation concerning the attitude of the farmers of tho country towards protection. The Minister: "1 don't suppose they would mind if the duty was taken off butter." Mr. M'Laren said that if duty stood by way of protection at all it was the protection of monopoly—the protection of a small section of the community for whom the bulk of tho people were burdened. With the Customs tevenue on the increase and the land revenue on the decrease The Minister queried 6omo of Mr. M'Laren's statements. In tho course of a retort. Mr. M'Laren said: "Some of us hero would put another penny tax on the unimproved value." Wait for Parliament. In his reply to the deputation's request, the Minister said that tho cause of the high price of butter was duo almost entirely to the dry season. Travelling through tho country ho found factories closed a month or six weeks earlier than usual. That was one sound reason that could not be disputed. Personally, ho did not think the dairymen in New Zealand cared ope iota whether the duty was taken off or not. Tho duty had been put on many years ago, when the industry was in its infancy, and a good deal of butter was brought in from Australia. He was not in a position to assist them until tho next session of Parliament. Whether Parliament would be prepared to take the duty off or not he could not say. Ho was perfectly prepared to put butter in the Monopolies Act. LTo was not afraid of any butter which might come into competition with New Zealand butter. If there was a ring, and there was every appearance of there being one, it should be put a stop to. A Slate dairy had been suggested. He was afraid that if they depended on a place the size of the Levin farm, thev - would have to go in for margarine or something else. If we had 50.000 acres of a dairy it could not help them much.

Mr. M'Laron: "It would require a number of dairies." Tho Minister went on to say that there had been objections to tho money spent on State farms as it was. He had no objection to them because they were experimental stations. If they seriously considered the State dairy proposition, ho

would recommend them to the Minister for Agriculture.

Mr. M'Laren remarked that the farmers wore opposed to State expenditure except where it was to assist themselves, and they frequently raised the cry of Socialism against requests for the expenditure of ritalo money.

The Minister said that Socialists were very much more widespread than Mr. M'Laren thought. There were Socialists in the farming districts as well as among Mr. M'Laren's constituents. Mr. Young: "Are they maniacs, or Socialists?" The Minister said that he had represented a good many farmers and a good many miners, and there were farmers among them holding Socialistic views. Mr. M'Laren: "Well, then, the Farmers' Union misrepresents the farmer-;." A member of the deputation: "That is quite feasible." The Minister agreed that it was feasible. Reverting to the subject of the interview, the Minister said ihat he cculd not say whether there was a I rust operating here or not. The price of bultcr hera was regulated by the price in London. PALMERSTON DAY BY DAY. $ (By Telegrapk.-Spoeial Correspondent.! Palmerston, June IG. Attendance of the public at the exhibition of school work at the local technical school has shown that there is interest in this institution. The variety and comprehensiveness of the teaching has rather astonished people. Arrangements are very forward in connection with the laying of the foundationstone next week (by his Excellency the Governor) of l>t. Paul's new Methodist Church. The ceremony is to bo followed by a- gathering of Methodists all over tho district.

A severe accident I;appcnod to a boy named Frank Stonper whilst cycling along a Palmcrston street yesterday. His injuries necessitated his' being taken to the hospital.

The combined 'committee of the Navy League and the Overseas Club met last night, and made final arrangements for tho patriotic concert which is to be held in the Opera House on tho evening of Coronation Day. Included in the programme will bo four patriotic choruses to be sung by the school children. The health inspector, Mr. O'Brien, has removed his headquarters from Foilding to Palmerston.

A concert party, comprising Misses S. and E. Abraham and E. Turner, Mesda:nes -E. L. Broad and A. Barraud, and Mc-srs. C- J. Monro and E. G. Money, paid a visit to the Palmerston Hospital last night, and rendered a programme of vocal items, which was greatly appreciated by the patients and nursing staff. In the Juvenile Court to-day, before Mr. A. D. Thomson, S.M., a boy, ten years of age, was charged with theft of a bicycle and acetylene pas lamp, valued at £'i 15s. lie was cautioned and dismissed, on condition that he apologised to the people to whom the articles belonged, the bicycle being returned to the owner. The Old People's Home. Committee, and the councillors for the Taonui Riding of the Kairanga County Council met to-day. and went into the matter of leasing a portion of the county reserve at Awapuni for a site for the Home. Tho committee will report on the matter at the next meeting of the hospital board, but it is understood that there will be no difficulty in the way of securing tho site.

Lord Islington will be among the guests at the annual dinner of the old pupils of English schools, which function is to be held here on tho evening of Tuesday next.