THE PRICE OF BUTTER

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14072, 17 June 1911, Page 9

THE PRICE OF BUTTER

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER OF CUSTOMS.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

WELLINGTON, Juno 16

A,deputation representing the Wellington Trades and Labour Council interviewed the Acting-Minister of Customs to-day, and asked that tho duty on Australian butter bo reduced/ to allow it to enter tho New Zealand market as a competitor with the local product. The deputation was introduced by Mr l>. McLaren, M.P., who said the workers found it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. The president of the Council said tho deputation was appointed because (1) the Council had every reason to beiicvo that a butter ring existed; (2) it was of opinion that tho price of butter was unnecessarily high. Ho said butter was seiuiig in Australia at 9d or 10d per lb. so it should bo less than Is 2d hero. Hβ asked for removal of tho duty or elso that the Government establish State dairies to keep tho prico at a fair figure. The removal of the duty would break up tho existing ring and give some relief.

Tho Minister, in reply, said the cause of the high prico was not far to seek; it was almost entirely the result of tho dry summer experienced, causing factories to close down earlier than nsual. He did not think butter manufacturers cared whether the duty was taken off or not. Butter did not como under tho Trusts Act. If it did, there might be reasons for removal of the duty, but as it did not, nothing could bo done till Parliament met. Personally, ho would be in favour of bringing butter under 'the Trusts Act and nutting it in the same nosition ps ffonr. He failed to find evidence of the existence of a Tins*, but if it did en'sb' it r.tiwht to bo checked. Ho did not think tho proposal to st.nrt a State dnirv wn« prnc.+.'foV". rnprtt would tioco* to linve 50.000 floras under to mnke muoli d ; fiV. r _ enco. There seemed to l>o something wrong somewhere, when Zealnnd Wfi'infrion. Whether a Tin?? was oporor T>ot. t^ ,, * 1/vnl Tv-iVy> v^" l '] n'vrnvs Via rciilntcd by fio nrice. Ho sorry lip cont<l not help matters by removing the duty.