NEW ZEALAND BUTTER

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 89, 12 October 1923, Page 11

NEW ZEALAND BUTTER

QUEENSLAND DEMANDS HEAVY DUTY.

The Queensland Co-operative Dairy Companies' Association is piqued because New South Wales and Victoria imported large quantities of butter from New Zealand this year, remarks the "Australasian." Consequently, application was made to the Tariff Board for an increase in the duty ou '. Dominion • butter from 2s to 6d per Ib, but it. was unsuccessful. Undaunted b" the: 'refusal to accede to auch a, n«iue«t, tie association has repeated its demand. To enlist the sympathy of the Tariff Board, it points out that in 1919-20 Australia imported 29,3161b, and in 1920-21 10,774 lb of butter from New Zealand, wSile in 1921-22 and 1922-23 ■ the quantities brought in were 723,3361b and 3,102,194 lb respectively. The association glibly, refers to the necessity for protecting the industry in Queensland from exploitation by means cf the importation -of dairy produce from.other oountries— which include New Zealand—but fails' to make it clear to the Tariff Board that it was because Queensland tried to exploit the consumer in the southern States that buyers in New South Wales and Victoria were lorced to draw supplies from New Zealand. Such was the case this year and last. And now it is urged that there be tariff legislation to enable Queensland to extort exorbitant prices from the south when it is necessary to obtain from elsewhere fresh butter supplies. The association emphasises the fact that ample butter was available in Queensland for all States without going to New Zealand. That was true, and Queensland regretted later that it had been called upon to export' more butter to London than would havii been necessary had its prices to interState buyers been within reasonable hmits. It. is difficult to see how th« •lariH board can consider the request tor the increase in duty.