THE EQUALISATION FUND.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 April 1919, Page 6

THE EQUALISATION FUND.

To the Editor. Sir,—Permit me to correct one or two slight errors occurring in your report of the interview with the Minister on Monday. By inference lam reported as having said that "as the people of the Old Country were able to pay 2s Gd per lb for butter the New Zealand consumer should also be able to pay." What was said amounted to this, "that if the consumer at Home was able to pay 2s 6d per lb for butter then the New Zealand consumer should pay more than he is doing, as it was unfair that the butter manufacturers should supply cheap butter to Ministers, even to the gentleman whom I was addressing." Jocularly he replied that it did not affect him personally, as lie never ate butter or took milk, I then said that the Governor and Prime Minister were getting cheap butter at the expense of the small farmer, and that steps should be taken to set up a fund, or pay out of the consolidated fund the difference between the export price and that allowed to be charged by the producer for local consumption. The words "live shillings and eightpence" are an obvious error in printing and should read five-eighths of a penny. Further, the words "clieeße still in store" should read "cheese till recently in store," and in the concluding remarks what was asked wa3 that butter producers be given the opoprtunity "should they so desire," of cancelling next year's contract, and if such permission were granted a meeting would be called and a decision could be arrived at.—l am, etc., THOS. BUCHANAN.