WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 April 1921, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE PRICE OF BUTTER

DISSATISFIED CONSUMERS

(Our Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, April 1

Consumers are grumbling loudly at di the increase in the price of butter, de- tl daring, among other things, that it is a tl result of a conspiracy between Mr n Massey and the producers, by which tl the “Loudon parity” determined the w price while butter was dear in the great li metropolis and was renounced when it s became comparatively cheap. These s critics, however, are ignoring the fact l that the price at Home is largely affect- | ( ed by the seasons, being higher in win- t ter than in summer, and the further \ fact that exactly the same influences are I at work in this country. What lias i happened is not that the producers have I raised their price, but that the Government lias withdrawn its subsidy. This 1 means that the last sixpence a pound I instead of being paid from the State ' Treasury will be paid by the individual consumer. j MUNICIPAL SUPPLIES. I One argument advanced by the pio--1 dm-ors in support of their demand tor 2 S t‘d a pound for their butter, in spite of the “London parity” being only Is | 10,1 or Is lid. was that the Wellington City Council was paying for milk a price equal to 4s a pound for butter fat. l Jf they did not get the 3s 6d a pound j | for their butter, they implied, it would ; be open to them to send all their milk i to the municipal bodies that had taken j charge of their own supplies. The ab- ! surd it v of this was obvious enough, j | there being a limit to the amount of ! milk any city can consume, but it was regarded in some quarters as quite a strong card in the hands ol the piodueers and now the City C oitncil s trading methods are being blamed for J having raised the price el buttci. It is j indeed a pretty problem for the local 1 economists. THE DREADNOUGHT GIFT. I An echo of the controversy over the gilt of a Dreadnought to the Imperial ’ Government in 1909 has been raised ’ here by the publication of a statement 1 from tlie London “Times” to the effect ' ! that Sir John Findlay “inspired the i dramatic oiler in 1912. at the time of “ • the trouble with Germany over the " j Agadir incident in Morocco. ’ Sir .Imm '’ seems to have made many friends among London journalists anxious to do honour to their interesting visitor. '' j but his friends here know he would he j the last man in the world to detract in . j any way from the credit due to Sir ’’ j Joseph Ward in connection with the ' ! stirring incidents ol twelve yen is agoThe “Times” is not only wrong in its dates, which are ludicrously astray, but '■ n|so in its main “fact,” winch is simply I a travesty of the truth, another de- ' j plorahle example of the lull ol Hu - j “Thunderer” Irom its high tiaditions i of former days.

THE PREMIER AND THE FARMERS

People of all party colours are agreed that the Prime Minister has deserved well of the farmers. The differences of opinion between them on this score are mainly di (Lienees of political views, and are not open to discussion hero. At the great producers’ conference yestei day, however, the representatives of the men on the land were unanimous in their approval and warm eulogy ol what Mr Massey had done for their principals. The Minister was giv. n an absolutely free hand to deal with the question of wool prolits held by the Imperial Government as he thought best, and was made t’e recipient of a vote ol thanks and conlidenee, as the reporters would say, that would rejoice the heart of any politician. The Prime Minister has not laboured in vain for the goodwill of the primary producers.