THE CHEAPENING OF BUTTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 177, 21 April 1908, Page 2

THE CHEAPENING OF BUTTER.

aucklanders still unconvinced.

"uuwiui luiiuunig upon welcome rains produced a bountiful supply of feed for stock, and consequently a, marked increase ill-.tho output of butter, little hope is held ; out for a! reduotion ill. price, for the present, at nn- e l^ s ' Thi!rscia . v last there were 16,00/ boxes, or slightly over 400 tons, in storo at the Auckland freezing works, ahd ■this amount is' being -augmented a little as time goes: .0n.... Thoso'in the tradeY/however; anticipate, a big falling-off in'supplies m - a -month's time' at the latest, and the Quantity, large as. it appears, would.• then have to be extended oyer, a period of some three or four' months. In the meantime, it is pointed out that a few days' cold'weather would cause a marked decreaso' in the quantity of butter coming forward. . Accordingly, it is doubtful whether a reduction will take, place until the opening •of liosfc season. As one wholesale merchant put it to a "Herald" reporter,' the position resplves itself into a gamble with tne weather. With a long spell of such weather as-we are now getting," he said, "it is possible that butter might go back a penny a pound, but my own impression, is . that it will remain at the same - price- until next season." Another prominent butter'merchant'said he thought it'was likely the price- would ease a little,' because, :fpr this time of -,'year, were coming in freely. ; - Questioned;. regarding tho ■ recent > reduction in Wellington, those in the trade-ex-pressed the opinion that .this was'.the'/re-, suit of a- new firm attempting to. builds up a business, at an outside figure.-. It is estimated that there are 60,000;boxes,.or-: ISOO tons of' butter, in -the. Dominion. '--v.: > This estimate of 60,000 .boxes* stored is-in-teresting. • It again confirms the forecast given by The Dominion, that Jtho end "of April will show that heavy quantities .of butter are going .into cold 'store. '. If:.there are already 60,000 boxes in, store, there should be nearly 70,000 at the end of' the month—sufficient for .all the-needs of the Dominion till tho end of: the winter, even. c if. no further butter iwere produced. s