BUTTER OR CHEESE?

Taranaki Daily News, 28 July 1917, Page 8

BUTTER OR CHEESE?

STATEMKNT BY FEEMIEE. a?JP TWcgWih—Parliamentary Reporter. Wellington, Last Night. In ,the House this afternoon. Mr. Reld (OUki) a&ked the Prime Minister whether any further information had been received from the Imperial Cover lUUtul which would assist those engaged in tho dairying industry to determine whether they would turn their attention to the production of cheese rather thin hotter, as there was souie dool>t about the question of obtaining ships to carry butter. ' The Prime >''"'«ti-r replied that negotiations wer -m ; on, and were iikely ,togo on for /• time, between the Government an.i Alio Imperial Government on the subject of butter and cheese. He explained that cheese was used as an army ration, while butter WU not, which meant a considerable difference in respect to the Imperial Government's point of view. The greater part of the Dominion's output of cheekier next season would be requisitioned by the Imperial Government. That was certain. The Imperial authorities would take up to 60,000 tons. He did not thick the Dominion would be able to produce 55.000 tons next year, owin'- to the shortage of labor. With regard to prices, the representatives of the industry had waited on him and the Hon. W. D. S. Mao Donald yesterday, and had asked that the producers be placed an the same terras as those given to Canada, other things being equal. That, he thought was not an unreasonable attitude. He had communicated the remit of the conference to the Imperial authorities. There was the difference in, freight to be considered, though it was difficult to obtain exact information on that point, but he understood the freight charged between Canada and (beat Britain was a farthing per lb, while from this country i» was threefarthings per lb. Then there was an other point for consideration, and thiwaa the fact that in the open market fftHH" I'*" 1 '*" cheese had always been sightly hfeher than the price paid for Xcw Keatad* cheese by a'*out is per cwt. This -would have to he taken into consideration. Then there was the question of commission. The Imperial Government paid the agents in Canada one halfpenny per lb as eommissi«n for purchasing cheese. That would not be neeeaeary here, unless the Imperial Government paid the commission to the Sew Zealand Government, which was Dot HWy. He expected that within ten days they would receive a reply statin? what the Imperial Government wa« gofag fo do. He believed a very sr.tisiac~tary arrangement could be made. It ' Ms necessarv to make sure that sufficient cheese was left in New Zealand for local consumption. Last year's price ' mm VA& pe* lb- „ " Beplying to Dr. Thicker, the Premier jf-M the maximum retail price of butter «tiD stood at Is Bd. He was r.ot aware that the owners of butter in the bttaag stores had raised tHc price of battel to the retailers by a penny per poind, but he would refer the matter to the Board of Trade. Beptsang to Mr. Poole. Mr. Masscy s*fl th* butterfat levy had not been abolished, but it was going to be, he hoped, on August 31. Cabinet and deptrtmsntal experts were endeavoring to arrange the whole question on a more aatisfaetrrv basis. Beplying to Mr. Walker, the Premier said the interests of consumers of butter would be considered when the buttarfat levy was abolished. He wished to ' correct the impression that the butter levy was a permanent impost, for it was never regarded as anything but a temporary arrangement.