BUTTER SUPPLIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 322, 16 May 1921, Page 5

BUTTER SUPPLIES.

PRICE IN NEW ZEALAND. (Per Press Association.) GHIUSTCHURCH, May 15. In the course of his rely to a deputation consisting of Messrs McCombs, Witty and Sullivan regarding the price of butter, the Hon. W. Nosworthy stated definitely that there would be no change in tho price till tho end of August. He said that although ho was personally against the subsidy business, which had commenced in the # war period during the term of tho National Government, the 'deputation must recognise that once tho Government got "imprisoned" with tho subsidy principle,.,it was not very easy to get out, and tho principle underlying the whole thing was to make the best deal the Government could for tho winter output from tho factories to assure the peoplo of a supply up to August 31st, and then to terminate, once and for all, the subsidy arrangement. I quite recognise," continued Mr Nosworthy, "that the facts you have brought before mo are from the point of view of your own constituencies, but it must be remembered that if it had not been for the export of butter and cheese from this Dominion for the nine or ten months just ended, we would have been very much worse off. Butter has virtually saved this Dominion." Mr Witty: We are not grumbling, Mr Nosworthy: Instead of partial unemployment, thcro might easily have been total unemployment in not one section of tho community, but in all sections who are affected bv the slump that has taken place. I, for'one, am quite prepared to take the responsibility for what was done, because it was clone after mature, deliberate consideration and prolonged negotiations. The Government, has taken steps i to assure winter supplies up to the end oi August, and then will come th c L'co market 0 that I believe in. We havo entered into a contract 'between tho Government and the. dairy producers, and it is not tho slightest use appealing to me or to tho Government for any breach of that contttiot. * Mr McCc.nbs: When did you enter into Mr Nosworthy • At the end of March, when thero was not the slightest whispor of any eel lapse in the outside market. Thc Government arranged for tho price to be as low as possible, and did its utmost to give the peoplo reasonable winter supplies Alter August 31st thero will be no interference by the Government in the trend of prices, and as far as I know the price will be governed by tho worlds markets. ~ . T ' Mr McCombs asked whether tho Tin pe'rial Government had not. offered to resell a portion of its purchase to New Zealand at 175 s per cwt„ which would incan a retail price of about Is 6d. \ Mr Nosworthy replied that tho Imperial Government had stated that it did not wifh to sell anv of Ihe surplus butter for local consumption in New Zealand.