PRICE OF BUTTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17989, 16 July 1920, Page 7

PRICE OF BUTTER

DOMINION CONSUMERS. RATES FOR NEXT SEASON. (From Odb Own Corbespondekt.!' WELLINGTON, July,, 15. In view of tho present disturbed'etato of tho publio mind, owing to the of living, said Mr G. Mitchell (Wellington: South) in the House this afternoon, dia tho Government intend to continue tho supply of butter to the people at the present! prices? This question really applied to other products, he_ added. The Prime Minister replied that at the present time, and for the remainder of the season up to July 31, the Imperial Government had purchased the whole of our butter at 181s per cwt. That price did not permit of the butter being sold in this cdtmtry at its present price, without some Assistance. In order to ensJ»lo it to be sol$; at tho rate at present in force tho Gcp&rnment subsidised it to the extent of: twopence per pound, or father made up;the, difference, as it was not a subsidy in the true sense of the word. The Treasury had informed him that for the present' year this would cost not less than £200,000. There had been an increase in the - consumption this year, compared with lastjyear. Tho only reason that he could give for;this was that there most bo more people mi the country. The probable price in England fo.- next season's butter would be hjgher than those at present ruling. He did hot know how much the increase would be until it was known what the price of New; Zealand butter in England would bo. It was impossible to say -what would be done about tho price, here. He hoped, however,: that it would be possible to continue a system whereby a supply would be 'assured t£> s the consumer without any injustice to tho producer. .