FREIGHT ON BUTTER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2579, 29 September 1915, Page 3

FREIGHT ON BUTTER

. . ; FIFTY PER CENT; INCREASE. > Considerably increased steamer freight ,on dairy produce from' New Zealand to England, is. to be charged during,the present, season.' In the House';,of "Representatives yesterday Mr. . H.N J: .'H. Okey asked the 'ftime Minister'lyhether it was.a fact'_that',the BoaM of prade intended to increase the" freight 'on dairy-produce.- If , so, what was the extent of the ..increase? ;'; - , Die Primfe Minister saiß he had received" "advice from the" chairman of the New Zealand Oversea- Shipowners' Committee that .the freight; on' butter had been increased from 3s.' to-Bs. 9d. pen.box. Honourable members', would recollect' that ( .towards the end . of.Slast season the Board'-of Trade notified him that they proposed to ■ increase. the •freight on . butter hy 6d.. per -box.. He asked them to postpone the coming into operation of this extra rate until the- end of May. 'This meant in effect that the rato was 2s.<6d: for the 1 whole of last season, and so the. increase for this season was virtually from 2s. 6d. to -35." 9d.,' or 50 per cent. Ho had already communicated with tlio - Board of Trade'in London through the High Commissioner to'ask whether any modifioation in this chaTge, could bp.; made. But he wished to say- to honourable members that, in; view .of;, the fact that the rate from Australia was. 3s. 9d. -per 'box. he hardly thought we'; in New Zealand could expect our butter to 'bo, carried for a less