Price of Butter

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7007, 17 November 1932, Page 6

Price of Butter

(To tho Editor.) Sir, —In your issue of Monday, November 1-1, there appeared a letter signed "Worker" regarding foreign butter. Obviously "Worker" has grasped most of tho facts of the ease, but there a feiv aspects of this very important question which it seems to me it would bo just as woil to mention. In facing up to tho facts of tho case with wholesalers and retailers making a chopping block of one of our most staple commodities, it must be quite clear to any thinking person that Avith butter fresh from the churn and delivered daily in Palmerston North and Fcilding, tho price of s)d and (id per pound over the counter is absolutely ridiculous. Ono might forecast tho bad effect actions of this kind may have upon the British market price when people at Homo get to know the price w r e are receiving for butter sold in New Zealand, caused Avholly by theso insane cutting tactics by both wholesalers and retailers. One could naturally expect tho Home people to demand butter at the same price. Surely, Sir, tho various boards of directors of the Go-operative Dairy Companies should do something. I understand there is a federation m dairy companies and yet wo aro being subjected to happenings of this kind. What is the matter with these boards of directors? I also gather from "Worker’s" letter that 10 tons of butter was landed in Palmerston North last week from Auckland. Who is responsible for bringing in this foreign butter? Surely, Sir, tho farmers in tho Manawatu are entitlod to tho local trade in their own towns and cities. Why should it be necessary to import foreign butter? To use an old adage, it is like carting coals to Newcastle. Let the local business people practise their o«*n slogan and "support local industry." It would then be better for everybody concerned.

I am hoping, Sir, that some of your many readers will bo ablo to enlighten me as to whether we are to be subjected to a repetition of this dumping ot foreign butter or whether it was merely a shipment misdirected. —I am, etc., "HARD-UP FARMER."