BUTTER TRADE.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1925, Page 3

BUTTER TRADE.

AMERICAN FT'. A lIS

AUSTRALIAN ANI) N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION

WASHINGTON, April 21

Declaring tho cost of producing lullin' in Denmark, Now Zealand and Australia is greatly lxdnw tlio production costs in the Coiled States, which averaged between ofj.f) and Of .5 cents per ]l>. the American Farm liureaii Association has petitioned the Federal Tarifr Commission to reconiniend President Cool idee to raise the tariff on butter from eight to twelve cents per < lb.

The Association alleges that. Now Zealand is potentially a greater competitor than Denmark, the latter probably having reached its maximum product ion, while New Zealand production lias increased practically IT) per cent, in the Insl seven years, and is likely lo be doubled in the next decade.

The Association's statement declared that Denmark and New Zealand are in n position to dump butter on to the American market with impunity. A vast amount of storage butter in the United States lias been consumed, and the country is now down to a normal basis, with a much better prospect for the American farmer getting the cost of production for Ids but Icifat. The United Slates output of this commodity however, will decrease rapidly. unless more adequate protection is afforded. Professor Markin, of the University of AVinsconsin, testifying before the Tariff Commission, said I hat be bad spent three months in New Zealand in 1924, studying the dairying methods and lie was convinced that the butter producers there are far abend of the Americans in the matter of modern methods of producing and in business arrangements. Therefore, they are able to make butter at a lower cost than is possible in the United ’■dates. President Minin. of the National Dairy Council, testified that although the United States produced annually 2900 million lbs of butter, the importation of 2d million lbs of butter lias been sufficient, to break the domestic market, at various times, from d to 17 cents per lb.