BUTTER AND CHEESE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3190, 14 September 1917, Page 8

BUTTER AND CHEESE

THE IMPERIAL PURCHASE Negotiations still incomplete. , Au important statement regarding the ; ; possibility of the Imperial Government taking tho dairjvprotluce fronr tlio Do- . • -minion ivas i/jade by the Prime Minister in , the House of Representativesyesterday "afternoon. ill'. Wilkinson asked the Prime Minister whether the Begotiations with'the Imperial authorities for tho purchase of the New Zealand tmttor and cheese had : been completed. The season was approaching, and it.was imporUnt that the ■ -, ,i people interested should-know us soon. as . possible what was going,to happen. . - - . Mr. Massey said that the negotiations for the sale of New Zealand checse and | , butter to the Imperial Government had rot yet been completed, and ha had nothing to report on tho matter up till the present date. Ho had noticed, in the newspapers that, the Imperial Government had purchased, the surplus butter ; . from Australia. Ho did not tow whoV ; ther the whole of the exportable surplus of butter from the Commonwealth was being bought, but ho presumed that tho report referred to the Vliole surplus fiom Australia It was Tory likely t.'iat the Imperial Government h'Wl w./ted to com- 1 plete the negotiations wifcn Australia baforo going on with the negotiations for , tho purchase of the New Zealand pre-' riuce. ' Tho-first-proposal made to the New Zealand Government soon after tho return to New Z.ealand of Sir Joseph i. Ward and himself was that the Imperial Government should purchase a part of the Now Zealand butter. It was represented by him that tnis would not bo very satisfactory, and that it would be better if the whole, of the' New Zealand output were purchased. To that communication no reply had • yet > been received. Personally ho anticipated no difficulty about cheese: The cheese would be required, and lie .believed the price would be found to be satisfactory. Beyond that he could not say anything. Ho hoped . that something satisfactory would-be arranged with regard to butter. ■He would read to the Houso for the information of members a telegram ho had received from tho" High Commissioner, ■ - . in reply to a. request that space should be allowed for the shipment of a quantity of rabbits in cold stores in Dun • cdin, the idea beinjj that tho space now occupied by these -rabbits could be use 4 to . better advantage. . This was the telegram :-r ■' ' "With reference to your'telegram of "August ■ 31, shipment-of, rabbits: Board of Trade calls attention to very large accumulation of frozen meat and cheese New Zealand, and points, out that as this is property of Imperial Government its' continued detention involves serious charge against Imperial funds. They . el Go .point out that N.Z. Tabbit shippers declined offer, of Beard to Trade to pur- ' ohasa their output on same terms as those agreed with Australian' shippers, and they do not,-therefore, consider it /■ vreasonable.now to.be.called upon,to pro- ■ vjdo space for those private interests un • der conditions that would not only >n volvo Imperial Government.in expenses, : but would delay shipment of rest cheese urgently required - Allied forces. At request of New 'Zealand Govern . . . raent, and in view-of. demand for butter ;in the country,, Board of Trade agreed tb shipment of moderato'ouantity of but-, -J.ter. on private account, but this reprplimit of concession which they are s - -prepared to : make. . Any provision of cpaco for rabbits can be made only, at -osperise of butter, and Board of . Trade consider: latter more urgently required in. United Kingdom."