BUTTER IN STORE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 187, 2 May 1908, Page 8

BUTTER IN STORE.

THE APRIL FIGURES. LARGE SUPPLIES ON HAND. ' -■■Tho-Dairy Commissioner reports that at tho end of April the following quantities of butter were in tho public cold stores of the Dominion :— . ■ : Y : ' 1, V W -Boxes. Auckland ... 18,995- ' . Now. Plymouth ■ ... 20,469 -■•Pate 4.-;-...' ... ... .... 15,326 . Wellington. .... ... 13,857 : Lyttelton .... 228 Dunedin .... .... ... 1,253 • -'Total ... . ... 70,123 ■ Even if no more butter should be produced, this quantity is sufficient for' all requirements of New Zealand till next" August, when the new season will have begun. , The figures therefore sottlo once for all tho question of a buttej famine—if any further evidence were really wanted. These figures show the, actual additions during the month :— ' . _. , . - 1 Boxes. stored end of March 42,711 • : '„ „ April.... 70,128 Month's increase ... 27,417 ( more ..'.than was ' added during March, when the . new-,, storings- were only about 21,00.0 boxes. ■ Look at the;matter from another point of view,- and it will, be ' seen that we are 'better : supplied' than-we were last year. The figures for. last April are not available, but a comparison may be made with those of May:— ■ Stored, end of May,' 1907 ... • 77,519 Stored, , „ „ „ 1908 • . April quantity 70,128 r May (estimated)'27;4l7 ; . 1 07,515 i At tho present rate of storing there would i be nearly 100,000 boxes in storo a month > hence. It is truo that colder weather may i .bo. expected this month, arid that the,,cows . will ,bo still farther away, 1 -in point of . time, ; from profit. But the cows will bo in. better ' condition than at the beginning of April, and ; feed will .bo still.more plentiful.: Tho reports , from the country districts. predict. generally • a' continuance, of; fatter-making at the factories for at least another, month. There is . therefore, every prospect ,of a heavy output j for some time to como. If we take any . y.otice of the rumours that there is moro [ butter stored privately this season —perhaps ; a natural- consequence of the recent panic— we must admit that there is going to be too j much butter in stock for local needs. - Some • of. the butter now-in store will have to go-to . Britain, some day,' and local prices must . experience 'a further fall. This [ however; is a, mixed misfortune,, for it is only a result of an abundance of profit from the . herds.. . . ; We referred moro than a month'ago to a [ 'sale, by .a. factory,, of its winter output at - .about.ls.. Id. per pound, and oh that occasion ; .y G . pointed out that the factory was ! wise : , ill. accepting .that sum, low : Wit was gener- . regarded at tl)_e time. . /\Yo. also warned .those factories which Lyreto: -holding.; out' for ' 15.2 d,. and. ,Is. 3d. that'they. had. not a hope of .getting Results* have confirmed our '.advice with; considerable emphasis.:.. Factories which listened, to the .wild extravagance that was talked and written in various quarters . about the coming famine and refused to sell, ;. must, bo .also suffering remote .to-day, when ■ the wholesale value is probably not more than 1 "elevenpence;'' ' ' v /'V