THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1917, Page 4

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

THE COST OF PRODUCTION. A RETURN TO BE GIVEN. (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter). Wellington, Last Night. In the House to-day Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont) moved that ther# b» laid before the House returns showing: —(1) The total number of cows milked in the Dominion for the supply of milk or cream to butter and cheese factories; (•2) average yield of butterfat per sow, and its average value per pound aft«r allowing cost of miuuifftcturfl iflt# cheese and butter during the years fading June 30, 1915, 1810 and 1017, oach year to be,, shown separately; (3) th» capital coat of running each cow, tin* to include the. value of the laud, cost of feeding and wages; (4) the - net profit or loss per pound of.butterfat produced} and (5) the rclatf#? value of butterfat , per pound as conjpitred with cheese and butter. ... Mr. Wilkinson said that most of the production, on the farm had increased enormously, bht attention not di* footed to that fact. He did not beliiv» there had teen erplbltation in coflfleo. lion with butter.' Cost of production had increased by twenty per cent, tm» season; and cheese 10 per cent. Tfl® talk about wholesale commandeering Of farmers' produce at arbitrarily flisid prices was sheer selfishness. Ho titectioned the doubling of the price of Wellington newspapers, and he urged the Government to givo information ha asked for to show that the farmer waa not the exploiter he was often reprwented to be. \ ! The motion for the return was «at« ried.