BUTTER.

Taihape Daily Times, 3 January 1918, Page 5

BUTTER.

LONDON, October 26. A week ago the “Times” published a table showing the increased price of food, showing averages, the aver* age we so often look for but never seo in real life. Butter, it asserted—fresh butter was 101 per cent, above prewar prices. Bad enough, not that it affects a very large number of people for as a nation we have acquired the margarine habit, although below stairs and in munitionette, circles one finds butter demanded much more insistently than in more elevated spheres. Be that as it may, butter to-day is a still more depressing subject to such as are so dainty stomached as to prefer 2oz. of butter to a pound of margarine! For to-day we are threatened with butter at over Is a pound. The price has in fact been already asked and paid, in the market. Indeed, says a provincial daily, some Danish butter was sbld in the -wholesale market at 460 s a hundredweight. This, with the retail profit allowed by the Government, will be turned over to the consumers at 4/6 per pound.

It is at such a moment one turns one ’s eyes to the Antipodes, for at present English supplies are coming mainly from Ireland, and the rest from Denmark, whjch >in pre-war times sent us twenty times as much as Ireland. In these pre-war days ’Australia and New Zealand sent the Home Country as much as Ireland did, about 40.000 tons —New Zealand from 15,000 to 20,000 tons. Australia the rest — and this with an equal amount from Russia gave 120,000 tons in all. What is the position? New Zealand and Australian butters will not | he coining freely on till December. The Irish off-season for butter, too, is beginning, and will last till next Easter, Danish imports arc tremendously restricted and unfortunately for the United Kingdom the Danes specialised in winter butter. Obviously supplies are very short, and symptoms are not wanting that Government will have to step in and latest forecasts give December as the date on which Lord Rhondda, will- put his hands on the butter It is very significant .that |i conference was called yesterday of overseas 'Representatives, at which,’ New ■Zotiland/was represented. One df the most intriguing political events iS Mr. Lloyd George J s refusal to see cfo-operativG societies’ represonta- ■ tives.' They were in conference last week -and asked the Prime Minister if he would see a deputation. Seeing that co-operative socicities now mean a public numbering ten millions, it is curioiis That a Prime Minister so often' accused'; pf being all things to all men should Tiaye rebuffed them. The cooperators are naturally strengthened in thjeixs’belief that the Government’s ear has got’by the big owners of multiple/ shops, who make their economies ' precisely as do the co-operative stores, economy of labour, etc., which a large number of branches suffices to, begin. That the first Food Controller, Lord Devonport, was himself the most formidable individual head of multiple stores, was unfortun* ate. and there is no doubt that Mr. Lloyd George drew down a great deal of disfavour on the Food Minister by his unfonmate first choice. However, little one likes or dislikes them— and feeling is generally strong one way or other it cannot be denied that co-op-* dative stores have been following sound lines for a long time past rationing their members in a varietcy of diicetions. The papers publish a complete list of foods which the Royal Arsenal Co-operative, which numbers! 60.000 members, is to be rationed tomorrow.—bacon, butter, cheese, lard* margarine, tea, condensed milk, jama and marmalade. The list gives one a good idea of just where the shoe pinch-* es and the items in it indicate clearly that tonnage and always tonnage i 3 at the root of the troubles;, Both] the Empire and the Old Country will have to put their backs into it in making the Old Country more self dependent and where not so, to look to the Dominions. That in effect was the object of the overseas meeting convened in London this week.