THE BUTTER BOOM

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6487, 6 April 1908, Page 3

THE BUTTER BOOM

SOME INTERESTING FACTS. Recent files of London journals to hand throw some interesting sidelights on tho butter boom. In the first place, tho shortage which led to tho extreme values was occasioned by tho falling off not only in the colonial import (particularly in Australian) but in the European supplies, especially those from

Russia, 'fake the month of January. Tho total from all sources was 3-17,<S'J cwt, against «I.o:!7ovvt in. January, 1907. a decrease of tifi.hs--.cw 1. Tho colonful shortage was 55,212 cwt, and the European lil.BPfrwt. And Hie decrease in irn[sorts during the liret two weeks of X-et>-ruar-T was even greater. amounting to Ti.Wihcwt. T’o ret urn to the January figures, the following tables show tho imports for various sources for the past three years:—

Grand total for January’s imports of Colonial and foreign butter 116,175 131,037 317,782 THE GROCER AND CONSUMER. One of the most remarkable incidents in connection with the boom is that while grocers were forced to pay up a to a Traction over Is Id, they .were only charging consumers Is 2d. Thus during tho merry time of the boom the Home retailer was losing about 2d on every pound of butler he sold. With these prices ruling there was a run on margarine and jam, and tho grocer naturally encouraged this. MARGARINE’S OPPORTUNITY.

The unique occasion presented a splendid oportunity for the margarine manufacturer, and he took full advantage of it. Like some of our butter makers, he did not take advantage of the exceptional demand to strain after quantity regardless of quality, but realising it was an admirable chance of introducing his butter .substitute to users of tho genuine article, ho turned out as fine an'article as possible. Not for many years had the margarine people worked at suck high pressure, for there was an enormous demand for their goods during the boom. And tho grocers pushed tho trade for all they were- worth. They could purchase margarine from lOd to Is a pound, and thereby sell at a profit, while they had to sell butter at a loss.

' In the poorer districts at Home margarine is exclusively used by a large number of people, but as a result of tho loom it is expected that its use will greatly extend.

COLONIAL. Total Imports for Jan. 1906. 1907. 1908. Canada 3,431 — 200 Now Zealand 16,092 49,151 42,305 New' South Wales in,2113 31,511 13,222 Queensland 1,81.0 18.193 5,061 Victoria 61,021 72,000 58,441 Total 138,035 174,194 119,282 EUROPEAN. Total Imports for Jan. 11)06. 1907. 1908. Denmark 156,251 166,178 117,289 franco 19,382 11,651 11,876 (Jormany ■1,387 612 55 Netherlands 17.152 10,517 9,980 itussia 13,258 27,601 16,892 S wedon 15,810 22,355 19,383 United States 32.075 2 323 Other countries ... 19,165 21,166 17,097 Total ... . ... 278,110 260,143 228,500