AUSTRALIAN BUTTER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1649, 16 January 1913, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN BUTTER.

5 HOW THE PIUOE IS FIXED. 5 Tlio representation!? recently made to Hie 1 Minister for External Affairs by the deputation of co-operativo .butter factory, mallei--5 pcrs regarding tho references of the Uteli Commissioner to the pai' u played by the "colonial committee" ill the fixing of the prico of buttor, lias resulted in ail. important variation of the report, states tho ■ Melbourne "Ape." I - Sir George lieid's original statement. 1 based on'what, he described an "excellent i authority," was that tho leading agents - so for give and tako in the matter of

fixing the weekly price, that tliey tool? it , in turn to suggest to tho meeting of tho I "colonial committee" whatever price each I in his turn wished the Australian figure | to be. This was emphatically, denied by tho local factory, managors, and also by , tlm ''colonial committee" itself, and at their instance, tho High Commissioner waa communicated with. • The following reply was received;— "With rcfercnco to your telegrams' of December 24 and 30, my 'report does not allego colonial comraittoo aware- of sellers' agents' methods Using prices to accomraodato cach other. It is not'colonial committee, but cominitteo of sellers' agent-3, that fixed prices. Informant unfortun* atcly did not make this Quito dear. Kindly see this explained in the State Conference, and published. Would like fact cabled London press also. Will see committee on my •return to London." The Hitrh Commissioner is at present on the Continent inquiring into the proposed establishment of Commonwealth commercial agencies in Vienna, Berlin, and Paris.