BUTTER DEARER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 98, 18 January 1908, Page 4

BUTTER DEARER.

s X PRICE TO GO.UP.' . i I • FOURTEEN PENCJE-A POUND. ' -Tho,price of butter is to go.up.' Itisnot j ito; bo definitely stated yet on what day the, : ' mcreaso will take effect, but butter will- be i fourteen penco a pound; long before: January ■ $ ■ is* finished.-". :■ 3; f y .i-.{ i The change is the result of a meeting of i tho Wellington Butter Committee, a-body ■ -j tthich is practically, an Association of sonlo: i of.the principal suppliers. . The increase is 1 justified, chiefly by two circumstances — the scarcity-of feed: duo to the drought, and the " ! high price, obtainable.-for exported,butter. ••• - , ' ,i Exported butter in bulk is now selling, ir - . i • J London at 118s. per cwt., which l gives con- : i signing factories-a-return equal to ; lld> pei f 5 pound locally. In these circumstances, fac ' ? t6ry . proprietors regard ■ the ©sporting in- • v , ~ ducements as stronger.than those of tho local ,•/ trade for pound-pat butter-at lljd'i which 'lilies hitherto been tho wholesale prioe of the butter retailed by - the ■ grocers- at ; Is. Id. : - s •' Whon-.tho-,wholesale price is .increased to ' r * 12Jd. tho price to consumers will' bo Is. 2d. \ por pound. • Tho drought has produced a serious scarcity of grass in tho butter-producing districts, and tho milk supply to the factories has been fast diminishing. ' Rain now, it is considered, will not redeem-tho situation. Some of tho (interested suppliers consider that tho increailo of the price has been a!leady too long .delayed. An increase was ... suggested earlier in the season, but at that time tho price- of > bread had also ' been increased, .and,'in iriew of this fact, it was r©> solved to let thei price remain, unchanged. . " Bread is' now down, .and butter is 1 going up," said a certain buttoi-'supplier. ■ "Tho contrast is appropriate.' You will be able to have' the ' brerd thicker ' and the butter thinnery and you'll miss nothing. - A penny a pound increase on butter is inot such a serious' matter to' a 'family as a halfpenny increase on; bread. ' Some families do not / cat more'than a pound of butter, a week." ' ' The people of.'Wellington, and suburbs consume about thirty tons of butter per'week. Tho increase of-a penny per pound'will, l ;therO" I.fore, increase our 'butter bill \by £2SO per , ~j Week. The frugal housewife will, doubtless ' j mako more liberal use of jam, honey, treacle, < | and that wholesomo British food,' dripping. ; ? The change lias Occurred at a suitable time > to favourably'affect the fruit, trade, and bee- • \ keepers who are now sending out the new '! season's honey should find a friendly market. Meanwhile, there is room for speculation ', as to tho date of. the. change. . - ,