THE RETAIL BUTTER QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1918, Page 6

THE RETAIL BUTTER QUESTION.

rnouucEiw KCORED. Wellington, I'eb. '23. It was announced tin; other duv that the representatives of dairy factories had decided to discontinue sending battel' to the local market at the end of the present mouth, owing to the fact that the lai-k ol ilii equalisation fund made it more profitable to export. The local price is as good as the requisition price of K>7s per cwt., hut the exporter receives. in addition, a share of any profit that the imperial Government may make in the sale of the butter on the British market. The Prime Minister had stated already that he would not allow the local market to be denuded of butter or the retail price to be raised. He states now that the Government will be prepared to sell butter from the store in Wellington at £3 10s 4d per box, equivalent to Is fid per lb. The butter will be taken from the supplies that are being held to the order of,the Imperial Government. Any person may buy in lots of not less than two eases. Probably the arrangement will bring about a reduction of the local retail price. How this arrangement will affect the producers in relation to the extra profit on exported butter remains to be seen. The full details of the scheme have not been stated.