THE DRIED MILK BOOM.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 390, 9 July 1918, Page 2

THE DRIED MILK BOOM.

MINISTERIAL ADVICE

We cull the following from the Wellington " Evening Post," viz. An article in Saturday's " Post," explained how boomers of dried milk bad excited the hopes of 3,'- to 4/- per 11,. for butter-fat. Thrills, which recall the old gold rush days, are stirring many dairy farmers in the North. Those, who have been getting rich steadily have a vision of a sudden spring to great wealth. By the magic of milk powder their returns from the cows are to be much multiplied. When the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. D. S. McDonald, u note of warning against the basing i>f immense expectations on the prowas at Taihape the. other day. he gave sent prices of dried milk. Practically, ihe Minister advised the dairymen t" look well before leaping into the new schemes. It is understood that the expectation of enormous profits from the manufacture of dried milk is mainly due to the price now paid for this product by the Imperial Government. Contractors in the supplying countries have been able to outbuy butter and pass on the extra price to the Imperial Government. Careful enquiries by a "Post" representative confirm the statement that these increases have been thus passed on. Dried milk was discussed briefly, but importantly, by the Minister of Lands (the Hon. D. H. Guthrie) in reply to questions by a " Post" representative. " I have advised all who have approached me on the subject not to lie led away by present prices into projects of bit' expenditure," said Mr. Guthrie. "There is no question that the keen demand and the present Inch prices for dried milk products arc due to the larsie orders of the Imperial authorities and a certain section of the community in the United States of America. It is a very debatable question whether, judging from the present position, tho dried milk industry would realise anything like the present results later on. The continuance of a demand for the lower grades of dried milk appears to he very likely, because they were used largely in America for confectionery purposes. But. outside of the persons who are intimately connected with the industry, there are tew who have such information .as would justify the expenditure of larcre sums in dried milk schemes at present."