BUTTER UP AGAIN

Evening Star, Issue 22146, 28 September 1935, Page 16

BUTTER UP AGAIN

FURTHER ADVANCE 11 MUST COME " ATTAINING WELLINGTON'S HIGHER PRICE Butter was retailed to-day at Is 3d and Is 4d per lb, Id more than the price ruling during the past four months, and it is said that the state of the market indicates that a further advance of Id per lb within a week or two is imperative. Consequent on decided improvements in the London values, the price should have been raised some three weeks ago, a butter company manager told a ‘ Star ’ reporter. He added that while the public might consider that it was being required to pay too much, it was really obtaining batter cheaper than might be expected. It is fully anticipated that the price will again be increased in about 10 days, according to Mr M, Campbell (president of the Dunedin Master Grocers’ Association), who commented: “It must come.” Over two weeks ago the retail price in Wellington went up to Is 4d, and the reason given for Christchurch and Dunedin failure to follow this lead was that there had been trouble between two factories in Christchurch. A compromise was responsible for to-day’s rise in price, which was the same in Dunedin as in Christchurch. Both centres would be on a par with Wellington very shortly. At this time last year butter was retailing at lOd per lb, which is the average amount obtained over a period of years. In May last the price to the public was advanced frdm Is to Is 2d per lb, all increases benjg reflected from the Home market, which controls Dominion prices. The lowest price ever asked for butter was BJd per lb, in--1933, while the other extreme was reached just after the war, when the price soared to 2s 3d per lb.