BUTTER IN LONDON

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 116, 20 May 1925, Page 5

BUTTER IN LONDON

"UNJD^fIFiABLV HISH;'

Attack on pRODuciiERS'.coSTHQij

OF PftICES.

(pkiTED PRESS „ ASSOCIATION—CbPiiftIokT.) (AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND^ CA&E ASsbciATIOK.) ■ ■ . ■' London, ißth.iiay; ■ Mr. Emery, chairman of the Home and Colonial Stores, states that if. there was a free butter market, to-day, butter coiild be sold at Is 6d a pound to the cohsuiiier iiistcad, of is 9d. Thfere is, he says, iio justification for the maintenance of-the high price in VieW of the large amount of butter .in cold stbifaglj which cannot be released oWing to the attitude of the Australian farmers' association and the New Zealand co-opera-tive dairies. Mr.. Emery's statenient has aroused a newspaper controversy in regard, to the- propriety. of , ; holding up supplies in order to raise the price. One big wholesale buyer of. Australian and New Zealand b'uttei; says it is a game of "pull _'devil,, piill baker,! between the holders, of the stock and' tlie buyel-s, aiicl.it reriiaiu's.to be..seen wh'b will win in the tug-bf,-wkr. , Some critics. allege that the action of the colonial seller's is a, direct bhaileng'6. tb the rfecomirienda-. tibhs of the Fbo'ci. Cfbmhjissiph.'

Another authority .ili the. butter' market states that the firms iii.Tooley Street arc Kelfeless. .Sd strong is the Producers' Association' that .jigeiits are not free' as regards.9s percent, of the colbiiial liuttetiinportcd, last year. It is estimated that by hiid-Jitne there will b' ; o-a million boxes of butter ii store, apart from.an ■unusually large, iiunibel'of, sliipmeilts 'on tlie jiigll. seas. .

'The njanager .of an important, iinn 'bt bU)^;rs sSys that Tobley Street reseiiis the tactics bi the 'colonials, arid .iaat warniiigS liave been sent to. Australia And New. Zealand that a reaction is ,irir evitable', and that ecbiiomic 'disaster will cbiiie if the preseilt..piices ...ares maihtaiiie'd; as tiiey .are iirijiistifiably. above tlib.iaw o£ subp'ljH aiid...demand. Tiioiigli tlie supply increased., by. 66. per,ceiit. iii- April, prices increased by 11 pef cent. ■ ' ■ ...