BUTTER MARKET

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 22 May 1919, Page 5

BUTTER MARKET

GRIEVANCES AGAINST EQUALDSAt TION SCHEME.

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) ■WELLINGTON, May 21. The deputation of butter men who waited on the Minister last evening put before the Hon. Guthrie to-night^eir grievances respecting the equalisation scheme.

The Minister, replying, said the Government thought it was doing a. wise thing in making the* contract with the Imperial Government and stabilising prices for our principal products for two years. There was at that time a lack of shipping, and if the produce had not been sold it might.have happened that the Imperial Government would have sent to the nearer countries for supplies. The contract was made the full consent of the representatives of the butter producers of the country. When the contract had been made the question of supplying the local market arose, seeing that the price for local consumption was not as high as that for export. He had been pleased to find that the producers were willing to adopt the expedient of an equalisation fund. He could express no opinion as to what the Government would do about the request that the to the local market should be compensated from the Consolidated Fund. It was a matter that would have to be decided by Cabinet. In Cabinet he would, express his own opinion. He expressed the opinioirthat if any levy had to be made on any section of the dairy industry it . should hav c been spread over all sections.