Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1925, Page 2

A Hf'iri-iMK for .stabilising the Australian markets for butter and cheese by means of a voluntary levy on prod

ers and the payment from the fund thus created of a bounty on all butter and cheese exported, has been adopted at a Melbourne conference representing iiiter-State prodmers’ organisations. It appears that the prices and conditions at present ruling have been causing unrest, and thousands of men engaged in the Australian dairy industry have been endeavouring to get out of it. According to “Commerce." the official organ of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, the proposal is that the farmers should pay in the first in,stain e a levy of one penny in the lb., the money to he used for a payment of a bounty of 3d per lb. on the butter exported. At the conference it was explained that the scheme, instead of ii.: leasing the Australian price of butter by artificial means, provided for an artificial increase of the export price., thus allowing natural laws to operate, and inevitably increase the Australian price. It would solve the problem of equalisation between factories and the difficulty of the varying inter-State prices. The conference unanimously agreed that a body be created, to he called the Australian Stabilisation Committee, with an advisory c-ommittee in each State, the objectives to tie (1) stabilisation, of Commonwealth mar-

lids for hut tor ami dioeso: (2) to make such levies on all butter amt cheese produced within the Conimonncnlth as may he necessary to pay a bounty of 33 per Ih. oil hotter exported and of ■' I‘.d per Ih on cheese exported; (3) to establish a Commonwealth Fund into which all such levies shall he jaiu. and from which all payments lor export trade shall be made; (I) to make an agreement between manufacturers and the committee for the tarrying out of the foregoing; (T>) to make such rules and regulations for carrying out the provisions of the agreement as may lie deemed necessary. It has been decided that the scheme should he brought into operation for twelve months from a date to he fixed and it. was mentioned at the t onferenee that if after a. trial the scheme .failed, a determined and honest effort would have hoen made to establish a voluntary scheme that would he a best possible basis upon whit h the producers organisations could tlnn ask lor compulsory legisiat ion.