PRICE OF BUTTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1165, 28 June 1911, Page 5

PRICE OF BUTTER.

A GREAT SCARCITY, (By Mecriiib.—Special Correspondent.! Auckland, Juno 27. A prominent butter merchant, speaking to a reporter, said the local merchants unfortunately could not get butter for less than 1« id. per lb. from (he factories, tho butter being in lib. pat?. He said there was undoubtedly a.great scarcity of butter, and this was simply due to the fact that there had been an exceedingly drv season last summer. Asked, if the high price prevailing was due to tho supplies being "cornered," lie said that while the visible supplies were in fewer hands than ever before the cause of the high price was really the shortage of supplies. As far as could he ascertained the stocks in hand would be depleted about tho first or sccond week in August. It could be taken for granted that tho scarcity would be felt for at least another five or six weeks. After that prices would depend on whether an early spring was experienced. The present shortage, added tho merchant, emphasised the necessity for winter dairying in the Aurkland province. While winter dairying had certainly advanced of Toeent year's, a great deal could be done in this respect, and the genial climate, especially in the more northerly districts, certainlv conduced to successful winter dairying. In reply to a suggestion that Australian butter might be admitted duty free to Now Zealand, he said that firstgrade Australian butter cannot bo obtained under Is. Id. per lb. net. f.o.b. from Melbourne or Sydney,, and by the time other charges were made it would reach the wholesale price of the Now Zealand article, and no advantage would therefore be gained by removing the present duty of 20 per cent.