THE BUTTER PRICE.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 35, 12 November 1920, Page 14

THE BUTTER PRICE.

(By "Spectator").

There's no one more abused just now Than he who Jeeds and milks the cow 3 Each evening and at break of day, 1 To keep the hungry wolf away. The city dwellers' voice is heard, Describing as complete absurd, The profit that the farmer takes, For all the butter-fat he makes. ' The people are all out in arms. About the profits made on fa mu, And many are the tauaki and jeers 1 About the landed prohteers, They say it's like the iarmer' tncks ,1 ■ To trade away at two and six. The stuff that once he used to sell. Jj At one and th'ree, and do quite well, J And so it caused a little flutter. t When two and sixpence for their batter j W as offered to the sons who toil, | So late and early on the soil. When Massey heard the earnest cries ] About the sudden butter rise, A new committee came on view i To sift the matter through and through* To equalize the price per pound Six hundred thousand soon was io und, j And now the price is two and three, Some sixpence less than it wouid be If that indomitable will Of our progressive Premier Bill .1 Had failed to recognise the liumour | In which the frugal town consumer jj Reviewed, in desolation utter , The price per pound of factory butter, ? And still the sturdy farraers count, I No matter how the prices mount-, No matter how consumers scoS, Producers get no hetter off. The plow he used to buy one day For eighteen pounds from Reid & tMy, ^ Nqw costs him thrice that humble figure, - And more if he requires a digger. | His comprehension it astounds How tliings go up by leaps and bouii s. ^ The fertilisers that he needs, And lime and agricultural seeds, And all else that the farmer buys Is ever, ever, on the rise. 'Tis hard to realise the hf0 9 Of Mr Farmer and his wife, And little children, as a rule, B,efore and after going to schoo, | Working out in the byre and fiel^ i .To extract the season's butter yie ' j The folk in rosy walks of Hf©But seldom realise the strife Of farmers' toiling girls and 5»ys, , -Removed from all the scencs and D Which cheer the hearts of those we | Each day upon the city street. . . But still the fact comes still »°r That those who toil throgghout th i ; W7ho know not holiday oi' res^' ^ Should come to be repaid the bes • . His overtime's not too we Pa ' If farmer, wife, and son, anc Who work from when the lark Till when at night the darta i ^ Seven days a week the wholey . Receive their two and six pe