THE CHEESE OUTPUT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3024, 10 March 1917, Page 12

THE CHEESE OUTPUT

IMPERIAL PURCHASE EXPLAINED. Mention has been made in the House of Commons recently of the purchase of cheese by the Imperial Government' in- New Zealand. Au explanation of the transactions was "iven to a reporter by the Hon. ■\VI D. S. Mac Donald vesterdav. Tim Minister.stated that the complaint did not concern New Zealand at all; it was purelv a mattpr concerning the Home authorities. The position as far as the New .Zealand producers was concerned was that the Home Govprnnient at tho outset commenced initiations with New Zealand for the acquisition of the whole, of the output for army purposes at Bd. a Hi. I This price was not accepted, Sjjd. beinc; asked.' The Home Government thought that this price was too high, and at that-time negotiations fell tliroiigh. Tim Imnerial Government had 'to ptet supplies of beef and mutton and oheese for Army rations, and owing to a. scarcity of bp«f and rmitton it he- I came imperative for the Imperial au- I thorities to obtain more cheese, and I .so they took the New Zealand output, paying 9Jd. a 11) for it. At first they proposed to requisition the cheese on arrival, and actually did intercept some of it before it,readied the consignees. The' New Zealand Government suggested that it would be in the interests of the producers of the Dominion that the whole New Zealand output should he purchased, and this suggestion the Iniperial Government adopted. The New Zealand Government had no more to do with the transaction than this, except that it acted for the Imperial Government in negotiating for the. purchase of tlie cheese.