COMMERCIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2262, 6 August 1908, Page 1

COMMERCIAL.

BUTTER IN STORE. RESERVES DWINDLING. The butter in the New Zealand public cool stores on July 31 is officially reported to have been as follows: boxes. Patea 2500 Auckland 4433 Now Plymouth 5106 Wellington 4543 Lyttelton nil Dunedin. 449

Total 17,031 At tlie- same date last year the quantity in store was 27,119 boxes. These figures of tlie present year (says tlie “Dominion”) indicate a eloso finish to the stored-butter season—a close finish Jfiiat will leave vory.Jit-tle stored b utter ~to'Mje“'saCrificed at a lower figure on tho British market, and very little stale butter for local people to eat. Thero will be genuine fresh butter -in. its place when tlie 17,000 boxes have been got rid of, and less complaints should bo heard among the consumers. Apparently the southern firms do not share tho belief held by some that there is going to be a butter famine, for a few days before tlie new season’s supplies reach substantial dimensions. They have obviously not purchased heavily in any fear of a rise in prices, for there is not 12 tons of stored butter reported in the. whole of tho South Island.

During June it was computed that about 14,816 boxes of butter were taken from the cold stores fon'local use, 16,663 boxes were exported, and the month ended with 40,178 boxes in store. Tlie figures of the end of July show that 23,147 boxes have been withdrawn during the month. Of this quantity some lias been exported, but the actual figures are not yet to hand. It iis reasonable to assume that, in view of the small quantity in tho stores, some of the firms with storage facilities withdrew more than sufficient for current local needs; and probably tho current output of tho dairy farms themsolves reached its lowest ebb during July, necessitating a heavier drain thug usual on the reserves. Tlie dairy farms, however, will produce more butter-fat this month than last, as in ,many cases tho cowe are calving rapidly. The winder lias been so favorable that the Reason will open- under the best- possible auspices in regard to food supply, and it would perhaps not he unduly optimistic to anticipate that the butter required from the stores for local use during August will be less than the amount used in June—possibly not more than 12,000 boxes. This would leave over 500 boxes remaining—a quantity amply sufficient, in all human probability, till the middle of September. By that time the dairy factories should be producing all the butter that the local market requires. The butter people have certainly cut things very fine this season, but- it seems as if the results are going to fit in very neatly with tlie old saying, “All’s well that ends well.”