COMMANDEERED PRODUCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2721, 16 March 1916, Page 8

COMMANDEERED PRODUCE

v (To the Editor.) ••• % : . Sir,—l have read with iiitorcst ■ the j K; fetter signed "Manawatu Dairy Far-' ! liioi," and' the replies given by Mr. ' ! friggs. I cannot, however, see tho • .torco of the. latter's argument that the » commandeering of 15^80'tons of cheese 1 , find a fixed.prico in New Zealand had • liiflde tliehigh price now ruling in Lon-, I don. I understand the War Office ! bought nearly,.;,if not as much, New! ! Zealand cheese last'scason on the London market at market prices (and the T price was as high as it is to-day), and they would have; bought it .again this , season on the same basis, and the hardworking cheese-jitoducer would not have !. .been forced- to -pay a special tax, while the easy-going wool-producer pockets' nil that is going. It is admitted by s • 'Mr. Trjggs; that as . far. as . , Canadian *,•'» cheese, is concerned the War .Offica are {;■: buying it .at'market'ra-(as7 and perhaps ; he does Sot .know ""that ..the WaiSOffice.' ; •.•are also.'.'.buyitig Now.rZealandi'eheese on-the London'market'at about 2d; per »• lb-, more than; the. : ;Nqw : Zealand Govi;- 'prnment' are ; making, the farmer sell at. ■ I can .also tell' Mr." Ti'iggs that the i iWar Office has not commandeered the v linglislrinake of cheese.: ■ Why:, should poor little New Zealand be singled , out ,as the portion of the !. Empire,. where its hardest worked -pro- . duoers are compelled to pay . out as a ! i.pecialtax 20 per cent, of,_ their, earnings, and. who have also sent their eons . to fighf the Empire's; battles? As I say, i,". I cann6i;imderstand:why the War, Office should cast its eye over to New Zealand '• for. cheap cheese, when three times as , much is:-produ'ced in England, and twice «« much, in Canada. But, as Mr. Masley says,-the Imperial Government did it.—l ain, etc., : .. 'fflOS. GRAY.

1 The continued dry -weather, is having | , a serious'effect on the milk supply to i ; dairy factories, which sliows, a steady !'■ decrease?,from -week to week. A dairy. farmer) one of the largest .suppliers in .'...the Maiiawatu .district, infot-med a j.'. "Standard". reporter that if' the supply ?.<• continues.'to shrink as it has been doing I ,:it..will .mean' that the season will close : much 'earlier, than usual,- with a short- : ngo in: the butter supply and. probably > a: further ijise in prices. It, seemed a : great pity;;tliat these iconditiph's should exist this- se^n, : ,wheii:'prices are so L : good.; In other years, when-low prices } ruled, there would-- b© an", abundant : rainfall,;: with, .of'- course/' a big output ■ of butter!> ' The high values this season iv "would even, things up_ 6ornewhat, but it .appeared, that the dairyman was noji to ■ - ■Enjoy .big prices and . big butter out-' , puts at one and the same timo. . V Warig'aiiui business, man::has re[.jeived a letter from his father in Lori- . .. dou, in which it is stated that, at the -time of writing, fresh eggs wero being ; , lold in:the city at 4s. per dozen. Pork •was selling at Is.' 6d. per- lb!, beef' at ; \s. 4d.V, and mutton.at' Is'. 2d. The :orrespondent is a prominent manufacturer, and in the course of his lettor j; states: "There is a great future before '. Australia and New Zealand." •: . - - The potato blight has obtained a firm • .hold on crops along the coast (says the i ' Taraiiaki Herald"). A Warea farmer I-states all .tho old varieties wore . wiped A out completely. Early planting ;: .vas a i failure, the damp weather last- - '.ng till November proving disastrous. \ . He personally considered his small i ' patch would produce three tons, where- , is the actual yield' was Gcwt. Potatoes and onions should command good prices ■ tins year. - . ' ;■ Ivever has the demand for dear-headed • constructive thinking in business been no urgent as it is right now. We are liv- \ ing in ;a progressive age, and must take j advantage of all up-to-date methods. It

is in : savings from waste .of any dcscrip- ■ tion that money is made to-day, and by '• concentrating one's efforts on all details ■J of. our "business we claim to be able to ; produce results for our many cream sup- |. . pliers.We want mOTe cream. Can you : Bupply us? Further particulars, Wanga- - nui Fresh Food Co.—Advt.