DEARTH, DEARNESS, DEPRESSION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 214, 3 June 1908, Page 3

DEARTH, DEARNESS, DEPRESSION.

THE CASE OF BUTTER AND. TEA,

Commenting on tho scavenging of tho worldor- cheap rubbish to 'lower the : cost of tea tends, Messrs George Whito and Co., inheir annual, review, say:— ," Thus the taste of'the public is corrupted ,nd tho import of a class of so-called tea rom China, which tho Indian and Ceylon ;ro\ver would relegate to the manuro heap, s encouraged. If this rubbish was offered in its merits the matter would be unimporant, as few would use it, but unfortunately t is disguised in the pure product from. India and Ceylon to their serious disadvan;ago. In this connection what took place n & tho butter market tho other day is not without its.analogy; short supplies of butter orced up prices to an unprecedented level; t was found impossible to retail at a profit,, jnd tho opportunity being taken to push tho sale of margarine, consumers began to use tho substitute to an extent never boforo known, which resulted in the pure, article relapsing in value nearly as quickly _ a3 it iiad appreciated. To a limited extent in like manner China toa has made a- prompt reappearance,- jvnd tlio occurrenc© gives pauso to tho idea that by shortening supply,' pricesban'be raised indefinitely'.".' > ..' Tho following figures bear out tho, theory' of a, fall after a famine. The figures, show that,' although there was a shortage of buttor in Britain all last month, prices consistently refused.to rise:- 1 British Butter Imports. • I 1907. 1908. • Top price Week ended cwt. owt. perewt. May 2 ... 79,000 78,000 1063. May 9 ... 87,000 80,000 ' 104s. ' May 16 ... 103,000 77,000 104s; May 23 ... 92,000 68,000 , 104s. These figures possibly indicate an increased uso of margarine. Tho prices, however, still compare favourably with tho prices of last year. Tlio prices of Now Zealand buttor during the corresponding four weeks, of 1907 wero as follow (tho top prices would bo from 2s. to 'Is. higher):—9Bs., 995., 100s., 100s. Thoso wore tlio lowest prices of tho wholo year. Top prico (1245.) was obtained in November,- tlioro being a riso from lQ6s. on September G to 116s. on Octobcr 11, arid 1245. on November 1.