EXPORT OF BUTTER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2767, 10 May 1916, Page 4

EXPORT OF BUTTER

TO BE PROHIBITED

QUESTION OP LOCAL PRICE

The Government have decided to issue a. proclamation to be gazetted immediately, prohibiting the export of butter without the consent of the Minister of Th'e object of the prohibition is to ensure that there shall be enough butter retained in New Zealand during the months when supply, is less than consumption to suffice for the people of this country. , Last year stocks were depleted until butter acquired a scarcity .value. If the Minister of Customs exercises his discretion wisely no such state of affairs can occur again. The decision of the Government also is not entirely without bearing upon the recently announced determination of the people' who control the sale of butter in this country to raise the price to the consumer. The policy of the Government is to allow the price of butter for local consumption to approximate to the export. price. The cost of marketing locally is about 3d. per lb., and after deducting this 3d. per lb. our retail price of Is. 6d. is very l nearly equal to tie return obtainable bj* shipping the butter to England. Recently, however, the price of butter has risen ,in England, and it may be arguable, therefore, that an increase in the local" price is justifiable. This, however, is a matter for the Minister to determine when, application is made to him for permission to export.