PRIMARY PRODUCTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1921, Page 4

PRIMARY PRODUCTS.

“BUTTER PERFECTLY SAFE.” MEAT AND WOOL MARKETS. SIR THOS. MACKENZIE’S VIEWS By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. “I regard butter as perfectly safe,” said Sir Thomas Mackenzie, who returned from England yesterday. “The supply is far below normal. The shortage is due to Denmark sending only onefifth of her pre-war quantity, Russia is not on the market, and Canada is not sending anything like the previous quantity. “No butter used in Britain comes up to ours in quality, but if one asked for a pound in the shops he could not get it. Some was used for blending with other makes or mixing with while some goes to Devonshire, returning as the best Devonshire. Arrangements have been made, however, with the Wholesale Co-operative Society for the sale of New Zealand butter under its own designation.” He expressed grave doubts as to the wool market, so long as the surplus of requisitioned wool was so hign. Germany was not purchasing anything like the pre-war quantity, and France was off the market owing to having had her machinery destroyed. Another factor was that the prices of woollen goods would continue high, consequently people were doing without. Regarding the cable stating that Scottish mills purposed to distribute direct, Sir Thos. Mackenzie said it would be difficult tc cut out the wholesalers, who were the ordinary medium of distribution. As regards meat, he said there was ac excellent market for lamb and light mutton, the price being about 100 per cent, better than. that paid by the Imperial Government, but developments would require careful ‘watching by competent people.