BUTTER HELD UP

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 34, 10 February 1920, Page 6

BUTTER HELD UP

EXPOBT SHIPMENTS AT AUCK-

LAND,

11l TSLEOKAJ'H.—I'KKSS ASSOCIATION.)

_ AUCKLAND, 9th February. A serious hold-up of export butter was threatened to-day, when the National Dairy Association and the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company were informed by the agents for the Federal Shire steamer Northumberland that 50,000 boxes i of butter, which were to have been shipped to London by that vessel, could not be taken. When the Northumberland was at Auckland about a month ago export space aboard her for 50,000 boxes of butter was allotted to Auckland by the Dairy Produce Committee in Wellington. Arrangements were made to ship that quantity, and several thousand boxes had been brought to tho wharf when it was announced that the vessel had been diverted to load in Australia, and that no butter could be taken from- Auckland. Messrs Ambury and Long, of the' Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, immediately went down to Wellington and made a. strong protest to the authorities, with the result that it was arranged that'the steamer should load at New Zealand ports, including Auckland.

In response to'a telegram, the Shipowners' Committee in Wellington were unable to give any information to-night beyond the fact that the managing agents in Wellington stated the steamer was not ready to load butter.