HOLDING UP THE PRICE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 36, 12 February 1925, Page 6

HOLDING UP THE PRICE

AUSTRALIAN. DAIRY FARMERS'

SCHEME,

Proposals by-Mr; Paterson for stabilising the Commonwealth markets for 1 butter and cheese by imposing a levy on nil butler and cheese produced in Australia -arid paying a bonus on the pror portion exported,l have.'engaged much at-' tentioii in Australia. At a conference of inter-State producers' ■ organisations, held in Melbourne, representatives' of co-operative and .proprietary factories and farmers' protection : organisation* from every State were present. A draft basis for putting the"scheme• into effect by establishing a body,. to be called the Australian Stabilisation Com-' iriittee, with an advisory committee in each State, was submitted fay the council of the Co-operative Butter and Cheese. Factories' Association of Victoria, it read :—-

"That a body he created, to be called The Australian' Stabilisation Committee, with au advisory committee in each State. The objectives, shall be : (1)Stabilisation of Commonwealth markets for butter arid cheese; (2) to make such levies on all,butter and cheese produced within the Oommonw.ealth, ,ac mny ba necessary to pay a bounty of ——per lb, on butter exported, and of —— per' ib on cheese exported; (3) to establish a Commonwealth; fund, into iwhicb. all such levies shall ;be paid, and ' from ; which •.■[.- all .payments' for export bounty and administrative expenses shall bemadej (4) to makV an agreement between manufacturers! and the committee for the carrying out of the foregoing; (5) to make such rules and regulations for carrying out the provisions of;the agreement as niay he, deemed necessary. v>. . . . , Mr. Rankin, who moved the motion, added that.the consumer .in■ Australia shall pay as much, as was paid; in 'G.reut Britain, dud so give the dairy farmer" a fair reward., .■'• . . ..,•.-' V „-- ,lt ,™ as explained that the scheme should eventuiilly v be, embodied ' by amendment in the Dairy Control Act: ■'' .Mr. .Earikm produced figures showing the way m which the 3cheme would have worked in the last five yqars. The average amount, of butte.' produced iv Australia each year for that period'was 211,919,0001b. Of that amount 75,772,, 9751b had been exported, add 135,746,, 9601b were consumed in Australia. .'The levy* required-to'.'-pay' a bounty of threepence a pound ■'. o"u the export quota would have been 1,057 da pound, and the amount of bonus paid would be £947,162. ■- ■ ■-.■" • ; ; :■ -.. • . :• .

The motion waa'uuanimouEly agreed to. -■-'!...: ': ■ ■ ' '- .-

The amounts of the bounty were fixed at threepence. a pound for butter and. thrce-halfpenco a pound for cheese. , It was decided that the 1 scheme should be.brought intq : operation for 12 months from a date to be fixed.

Considerable interest throughout ths Commonwealth , was . attached to the above conference. Delegates fronv all States'were'present.' In brief, producers are to pay a- levy of Id alb. on -'*11: •butter manufactured, and this will provide an export ..bounty of about 3d a lb. ". Consequently the price of butter for consumption within the Commonwealth automatically increases propor-' tionntely. T -... .-..:•.'' -

The adoption of the "Paterson" scheme is purely voluntary,, and- now that all the States have agreed to accept, it, it should become an established fact'before long. Consnmere still have little cause for complaint, if: the project establishes a higher price for butter..... When the export control board is established it will be npproached by the various States to administer the new..arrangement, but a food deal of formality has yet to be gon? through before finality in its adoption will be complete'--'--- '

[ By permission of the Minister of In- ■'- [torna Affairs, the Wellington Aj-tillury/ ': Ban. d.f. a£ union, a.dvenised to b« drawn' ??■ a Febr"'V?' Is Postponed to Easter"- '■ Monday, the 13th of April. .■;.-, ■/■'■' Messrs. Ramsey Wilson and Co/will sell at their auction "rooms, 98, Mariners street, •at 2 p.m. to-morrow,' indentor'g stock of mercery, also furniture, pianos, and eeneral eoods. ,