BUTTER IN CANADA.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 February 1926, Page 1

BUTTER IN CANADA.

HOME, N.Z. AND AUSTRALIA. CANADIAN PRODUCERS’ FEARS. VANCOUVER, February 5. Simultaneously with tho arrival by the liner Niagara of fifteen thousand cases of the first Australian, butter to conic under the tariff treaty between Canada and Australia, and five thousand cases of New Zealand butter, tho top grade of Canadian blitter to-day advanced in Vancouver bv two cents .per pound to forty-six cents and second grade from 43 to -14 cents. This advance i.s due to the Canadian prairie butter in hulk being shipped last for higher prices, thus leaving no surplus in the west of Canada. Four thousand cases were landed at Victoria and the remainder at Vancouver for national distribution. The dealers are awaiting tests of the qualify of the Australian butter for comparison with the New Zealand butter.

The press is prominently noting the arrival of the Australian butter, saying the Dairymen’s Association’s treaty warnings as to the injury the treaty will inflict on Canadian producers are justified. Commenting on the arrival of the fourteen thousand cases of butter from the Antipodes last Friday, the Hon E. D. Barrow, Minister for Agriculture for British Columbia, said that Canada must eventually face tho competition from the Australian dairymen in the world’s markets. “ Even if we shut out the Australian butter from here with a high traiff.” he said. “ Australia could still compete with us. Tlie facts of tho butter situation are somewhat peculiar, and probably they are not widely understood. Canada is at present producing large quantities of butter which she cannot use, and a big surplus is being exported from Western Canada t<Groat. Britain. It is difficult to see how Australia ran find a permanent butter market here under those condi-

tions. At the same time, if we kept out the Australian hutter, we should feel its competition just the same in the British market, where the products of both Dominions naturally come into competition.” A message from Regina, Saskatchewan, states: The Co-operative Creameries’ annual report shows a slight profit for the first time since 1920. The Directors, in their report, however, call attention to what they call the “ impending peril to the dairy interests of Western Canada created by the Canadian-Australian tariff treaty.” Tlie report declares that their company will bo represented when the Western Dairy Association waits upon tho Federal Government in this connection shortly. The report states the Company will enlarge its operations in British Columbia, aud will take advantages also of the Oriental market.

IJ.S.A. BUTTER. INQUIRY. WASHINGTON, February 9. Senator Schall has introduced a resolution in Congress directing tlie Federal Tariff Commission to submit its butter report (references to which were cabled on December 11 and April 21, 1925) to tho President at the earliest practicable date. The resolution also provided that the House hold an investigation to determine upon common methods in making an inquiry under Congressional authority granted the commission. White House took cognisance of the Schall resolution, explaining that the Commission’s delay in concluding its butter investigation may he due to tho fart that the Commission began its work on the theory that most of the butter imports came from Denmark, whereas it was later discovered that much of the foreign hutter came from New Zealand, the Argentine and Canada. An extension of the inquiry lias delayed the Commission’s report.