PRICE OF BUTTER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3070, 4 May 1917, Page 6

PRICE OF BUTTER

SCHEDULE RATES STILL IN FORGE Several complaints have reached the Board of Trade as to the retail prices of butter to be charged during the winter months, i.e., to the end of August, and in order to clear up tho misunderstanding the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald has made the following statement: "A gazette notice issued under the regulations of the Trade and Commerce Act on February 15, of this year fixed maximum wholesale and retail prices of butter during the months of February to August inclusive. The maximum wholesale price of butter as sold by tho manufacturer and delivered in boxes at tho factory on tho usual trade terme allowed for a farthing storago during tho month of March, and oneeighth.of a, penny during the months of April, May, June, and July.' Thus the maximum price chargeable at the factory in April was Iβ. 4Jd;, in May Is. 4jd., in Juno Is. 4Jd., in July Is. 45d., and in August Is. 42d. The wholesale distributor was allowed under tho scheme a maximum of Id. per pound for patting and delivering to the premises of the retailer, but to comply with the custom of the retail .trade which does not deal in eighths _ of a penny, the maximum prices which the grocer should pay for his butter delivered at his shop were fixed as follows: April . Is. sid. May and June Iβ. 5Jd. July ard August .... Is. 5Jd.

The retailer was allowed on tho wholo 2d. per pound for cost of dist tributing to tho public; but as the grocer could not conveniently collect farthings from tho general consumer, the Board of Trade decided that he should, during tho mouths of April and May, receive only Is. 7d. lor his butter —a littlo loss than tho 2d.—and during June, July, and August, he should' receive Is. Sd.—a littlo more thau the 2d. Under this arrangement a grocer doing a normal trade will average slightly over 2d. (about onetwentietli of a penny) during the period covered. Tho Minister pointed out that it is a breach of the Order-in-Council for a grocer during tho month of May to charge more than Is. 7d. per pound for butter, and it will bo a broach for him 'to charge more than Is. Bd. during Juno, July and August. Tho Minister was emphatic ir, saying that the public throughout' New Zealand should gel its butter at tho echedule rates, and that if the public would report breaches of the regulations to tho Board of Trade, action would be taken to compel compliance with the order.

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