LOCAL BUTTER SUPPLIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17167, 22 May 1919, Page 7

LOCAL BUTTER SUPPLIES.

EQUALISATION SCHEME.

ANOTHER MINISTER'S VIEWS.

[ni TELEGRAPH.— association-.]

WELLINGTON. Wednesday The deputation of buter producers who waited on members of the Cabinet last evening put before the Hon. D. H. Guthrio this evening their grievances respecting the equalisation scheme. Tho Minister, replying, said th? Government thought it was doing a wise tlrng in mak a contract with the Imperial Government and establish prices for one of the principal products for two years. There was at that time a lack of ship ping and if produce had not been sold it might have happened that the Imperial Government would have sent to nearer countries for supplies. The contract was made with the full consent of the representatives of the butter producers of the country, \ihen 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 pleated to f.nd the producers were wili 'to adopt the expedient of the equilisation fund. He could express no opinion as to what the Government would do about the request that the sellers to the local market should be compersated from the Consolidated Fund. It was a matter that would have to be decided by the Cabinet. II? expressed the opinion that if any levy had to be made on any section of the dairy industry it should have been spread over a'] sections