BUTTER PRICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1920, Page 5

BUTTER PRICE.

POSITION STILL UNCERTAIN.

LOCAL SUPPLY IN SIGHT. (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. On'e or two questions about the an* nouncement of the increase in the price of butter which may be expected during' the coming summer were asked by Mr. Mitchell in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr. Mitchell referred to the report that the producers had been offered 280s f.o.b. for their butter. He asked what the intentions of the Government were with regard to the price for local supplies. He understood that at present a quantity .of butter was held by the Government for local supplies, and he asked whether the Government would give the House an opportunity of discussing the price question before the supplies ran out. Mr. Massey said he had good reason to believe that they had sufficient supplies in hand to last until October >. This was owing to the fact that the Government had held a fairly large supply for the winter months. He could not say what the Government might be inclined to do about the local price of butter, pending the conclusion of the negotiations for the sale of New Zealand butter to the Imperial Government. He could say that the negotiations were still going on, and that' although the transaction was not yet definitely concluded, so far as he wa? able to judge the Imperial Government would probably be the purchasers of New Zealand butter for the coming season. So Boon as he knew definitely what was to be done by the Imperial Government on the one hand, and by the producers of New Zealand on the other hand, then he would be able to consider what the Government would do. If the House wished to discuss the matter, members would have an opportunity of stating their wishes in regard to it. » Mr. Witty asked whether the price *of the butter now held by the Government would be raised in sympathy with the increase in butter for export. Mr. Massey said that he did'not think anything of the sort would be done. Certainly the Government had no wish or intention of making a profit out of it.

Mr. Mitchell asked whether the House would have an opportunity of discussing the price of butter before tie supplies of butter ran out. It had been stated that the price for local supplies would advance to 2s 9d per pound. Mr. Massey said he could hardly express an opinion as to what the future price of butter locally would be, except to say that he did not think that the people would be asked to pay 2s 9d per pound.