EXPORT OF BUTTER.

Northern Advocate, 20 July 1917, Page 1

EXPORT OF BUTTER.

OOOD NEWS FOR PRODUCERS,

Delegates of (W.cs companies wait, ed on the Prime Minister at Wellington on Friday (the day having been postponed from Wednesday).

About one hundred delegates were present from places as far north as Hokianga. The Prime Minister said it was very necessary that the troops should be supplied with produce otherwise the war could not be carried on. Therefore, it was of as much interest to the Old Country as it was to us, to

make provision for getting the produce there. But the Home authorities hitherto had endeavoured to buy in the handiest market.

As regards the butter-fat levy Mr Massey would give no' decided answer.. Cabinet had the matter in hand and he thought their decision would be satisfactory. New Zealand had been promised seventeen ships between now and the end of would not clear, but would , greatly ease the situation. When in Wellington Mr Goodfellow and others interviewed the president of the Board of Trade who said that although the matter was still serious no anxiety need be felt for cool storage for this season's butter and cheese, as there would be sufficient freezing space available for both. With regard to the white pine for butter boxes the Premier promised to go into it thoroughly and to attend to it. He also stated 1 that sufficient expert labour would , be retained so that the butter factories would not be left without sufficient labour to handle their product. Previous to the delegates waiting on the Prime Minister, they held meetings to arrange a .programme. They decided that the dairy companies should make no movement to make the Imperial authorities purchase the butter but to let the advances come from them.

Mr Henry Wakelin ' (WhSngare:) gave the following figures, showing dairy farmers' incomes, which will perhaps be a, surprise to some of our readers:—About half the suppliers draw under £100 per year, and this is their sole source of income; about one-quarter draw under £200, being their sole source of income; one.sixLli under £300; and only one-twelfth over £(300.