BUTTER AND CHEESE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 18, 16 October 1917, Page 8

BUTTER AND CHEESE

IMPERIAL AUTHORITIES WILL BUY

ONLY A QUESTION OP PRICE

"The position is very much easier now than it was last week/' said the Primo Minister in tho House of Representatives last evening in reply to a question put by Mr. Okoy (Taranaki) regarding the purchase of butter and cheese. Mr. Okey said that the factories were placed in a difficult position by lack of information regarding the intentions'of the Imperial Government. They wero not in a position to make payments to their suppliers. He suggested that in order to overcome the difficulty the Government should inform the banks that tho Government would bo responsible for any payment made on this season's milk, on deposit at tho bank of store warrants for butter or cheese in stock. Mr. Masscy added that he was now in almost daily communication with tho Imperial authorities as to thoir proposal to take over the output of butter and cliceso for tho present senson. "It. is now. only a question of price," he said. "The requisitioning, judging by the cablegrams the Government has received, ijill be given effect in tho case of both butter and cheese, and I havo no doubt thafc'during tho present week satisfactory arrangements will _l*o made between tho New Zealand Government and producers on the one hand and the Imperial authorises on the other hand. I am nuito. confident of. that. "We cannot possibly give a financial guarantee to- the banks as regards any advances they make on account of dairy produce, but I am quite confident that everything will ho right. Arrangements will be made beforo many days,-, and I will be able to make an announcement to that effect." ' ' •