THE BUTTER PUZZLE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 258, 24 July 1908, Page 3

THE BUTTER PUZZLE.

*! HOW MUCH IN THE STORES? . PRICE RISING. ,r .The announcement that tho'rotail price of some brands of butter, in Wellington is raised 1 to Is. 3d.' will interest 'those producers whoso factories are able'to take part in" the gains, j Tho nearness to the end' of winter, and the lowness of stocks natural to .■ the period are bound to give a little uncertainty to prices. There ' does not/ however, 1 appear to be any solid grounds for tho attempts that are being made in *somo quarters to arouse a cry of Famine. It is preferablo to avoid, y as far as - possible, the estimates quoted by those in whose , hands tho "VVollington sup- \ plies rest, and to calculate the position on the most reliable. fact-s • obtainable elsewhere. . The quantities ifi store in tho Dominion on June 30, As officially recorded, wore' just Dvor 40,000 boxes. ' The at the 2nd of the preceding month'was 71,479 boxes. During June ;16,663 boxes were exportod, so 1 , shat: the rest of the reduction —14,816—would . represent tho quantity taken from store to supplement the', current supplies. for local consumption during the month., . ,On this -basis it. will appear that the . current .'production of butter, plus tho .40,178 * boxes in store at the opening of tho month, ' would suffico for two and a■; half months from V that date ; ■ that is, till : tho middle of Sop- :. tembcr, • It, is difficult to make allowance for the unknown quantities in privato stores, (but if they ..are. being drawn upon to/the "iarao oxtent asthose in public stores, then iho calculation; as stated, stands good. The inly other- question that has to; be .taken into account is ; oarliness ;at which tho cows will: come : into profit. Already a num-. her- of, calves are; reported, but,- of course, "one swallow" does not-make .a summer." Dairy - farmers, : however, will be able ' in. their; own'districts. to make pretty accurate allowance ;on that scoto. . It is estimated that^at. : present ,one-fifth- of -the butter now going into, consumption ,is current output of - the farms:- When . that .'output , has increased five-fold, theroforo, .the .tensity .will end. | Apparently' -there" ■ is, up.; - case for holding Jack supplies at present prices,, but, rather, every reason for taking advantago of the markot while good prices are' obtainable. ■ Some: allowarico-must he made for,, tho p6s- : ■ .sibility -that interested parties are,- stirring up a cry- .of. "famine", in order to: wring- a good price' from Southern buyers, who, with : stores ompty, are now inquiring for supplies. . For practically ■ all tho , stored butter is in the Northlsland.. One point that must not be. forgotten is tho fact that-, at. present prices hero and in London, no one has any desiro .to export. / :