BUTTER AND CHEESE.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16016, 26 September 1917, Page 7

BUTTER AND CHEESE.

QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE. (SPBCIAi TO "raw TBHSS.") "WELLINGTON. September 25. In the House of' Representatives today, Mr Anderson asked the Prime Minister whether he had yet received any definite reply from the Homo Government regarding the cheese output. Mr MasSey said ho had no more information to give about tho cheese than | the butter. He had that morning sont another cable message to the High Commissioner regarding the butter | question. The cheese problem was much sjmpler. The Imperial authorities had ciofinitel-v stated that they would requisition it. They might not take the whole of the output, but the only question would.be the fixing of the prico. Mr "VVilford asked the Prime Minister whether he was aware that butter was selling in America to-day-at 2 S 6d a pound, and that a deputation proposed to wait on him asking that the New Zealand output be sold for American consumption. , Mr Massey said he knew nothing about the deputation. So far as foodstuffs were concerned, the Imperial Government had instructed the New Zealand Government early in the war to && that no foodstuffs were sent outside the Empire without their consent, and that- wag, tho position at the present moment. If the Imperial Government did not want butter, it would be possible to consider the proposal to ship it to America. (PBXSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, September 25. Mr Massey's statement in the Houge to the effect that merchants were profiting by every scare of > shortage of shipping, and were buying butter cheaply, is denied by exporters. They interviewed Mr Massey upon the matter to-day, pointing out that under an arrangement made with the Government in August, exportere pledged themselves to make no purchase of the new season's butter pending the decision of tho Government as to its disposal, and this pledge they had faithfully adhered to.