Butter For Britain

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29051, 13 November 1959, Page 7

Butter For Britain

Sir, —For the information of “Small Dairy Farmer” one should never place much reliance on statements from the British Ministry of Food. This Ministry, like “Small Dairy Farmer,” is inclined to be weak on arithmetic. I am saving. one pound of butter a fortnight. The population of New Zealand being about 2,000,000 —less babies and non-butter eaters—means that if my petty sacrifice was observed, over 2,000,000 pounds of butter could be saved for shipment to Britain each fortnight. Then there is the steamer Auckland Star losing £20,000 waiting for butter at Auckland. What is New Zealand waiting for, with high butter prices in Britain and Europe and the American butter surplus no longer a competitor? —I am, etc., RALPH S. WHEELER, Timaru, November 12, 1959.

Sir, —"Small Dairy Farmer” says that to help Britain in her butter shortage we should remove the subsidy on local butter. I should say the British housewife could help herself by removing the Government and Food Ministry that created the shortage by appealing to certain countries to cut down butter exports, to Britain. Thus millions of pounds were extracted from the workers. We believe in competition for wool and fruit on the London market, even to the extent of chain stores and foreign goods; but competition in butter from the other seven butter-producing countries we cannot take. The removal of Commonwealth preference in Britain’s butter market is required to force down prices Preferences today force up prices. Britain had to consult Australia and New Zealand before Canada could be allowed to export butter to her. This is gambling in the people’s food.—Yours, etc., CONSUMER. November 12, 1959.