PRICE OF BUTTER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1421, 8 July 1915, Page 2

PRICE OF BUTTER.

EXPORT PROHIBITED

Reference to the actions taken by the Government in regard to the export of butter was made in the House during the discussion on the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act Amendment Bill.

Mr Wilford (Hint), who raised the question, referred to the export of 40,000 boxes of butter to Australia since the war, and said that an expert in the trade had informed him that this exportation was the cause of the present high

pi ice. The Prime Minister stated that Mr Caddie, the head oi the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture, had informed him tlrat there was plenty of butler in New Zealand to last until the new season’s butter came in. The price was going up on account of the demand liom Australia and the greed of some people connected with the industry. (Hear, hear.} Mr Witty fßiccatton): You have hit it now, Mr Massey said that as soon as the Government was notified of the last rise in lire price in Auckland, they took the necessary steps to deal with the question. He believed that in about three weeks from the present dale there would be plenty of butter in the northern districts. The Minister for Customs would refuse to allow any butter to be exported so long as the present prices were ruling. Mr Wilford asked whether it would not have been possible earlier when butter was at a lower price for the Government to have bought all the output, say. in the Taranaki district at a fair price, and prevented this exploitation. Mr Massey said that the serious increase in price had commenced about two months ago. Prior to that the price was not abnormal. When we got back to a normal position, which would be in a few weeks’ time, the prices would fall. There was sufficient in the Dominion now for our own requirements. The butter in New Zealand at present was in the hands of a very few, and he was afraid that these people had put their heads together. In a lew weeks we would have so much butter that we would be looking for a market for it. In six weeks’ time butter would be very much cheaper than now. It was partly on account of the great demand for cheese that the price of butter had gone up. Batter had gone up as high as isnd in New South Wales and 2s 2d in Tasmania.