BUTTER STILL DEARER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 278, 3 May 1915, Page 4

BUTTER STILL DEARER.

EXPORT TO BE REGULATED. MANUFACTURE IN THEIWINTEE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. T'ie retail price of butter in Wellington has 'been raised one penny, to lg 74. The figures of butter in cool store on Opril 3(H.h show a sliortafc of 28,200 boxes compared with last year. It is understood that steps arc to be taken by the Government at once to prevent the indiscriminate export of butter from New Zealand, in view of an insufficient quantity for New Zealand consumption being in'sight. "It has come to th« knowledge of the Government," said the Prime Minister to a reporter, "that butter which is being exported from New Zealand to the Commonwealth is being used 'by Australian merchants to fulfil contracts made with Java and other places, and the Government is issuing * proclamation immediately, providing that in future butter may be exported from New Zealand only with the consent of the Minister of Ontoms. This will prevent such transactions as I have referred to being carried on at a time of scarcity like, this. 1 am advised that the supply of butter in sight in the Dominion ia lower than usual, but if it were not for the shortage in Australia the shortage would not lie so acute. The production of butter in the south is being reduced by the cold weather having set in rather early this yt-ar, but in Tarannki and Auckland I 'believe that good remits are being obtained. Information I Jtave from the Agricultural Department is to tho effect that a number of small farmers, instead of following the usual practice of allowing their dairy cows to go dry during the oold months, intend to mako butter right through the winter. Sup. plies from this source, if they prove to bo considerable, should relieve the shortage now anticipated in the winter months."