BUTTER PROFITS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10028, 20 July 1918, Page 9

BUTTER PROFITS

NEXT, WEEK’S CONFERENCE. A conference between the Dominion Butter Committee and the Hon. D. li, Guthrie (kiinistor ror Imperial Supplies) is to be held on Tuesday nest with the object of arriving at an amicable arrangement as to the distribution of the profits made by the Imperial Government on the surplus butter sold on the British market alter tho satisfaction of the Government’s needs. Tho distribution of these profits i s at present governed wholly and solely by paragraph 18 of the gazetted ’ notice of the arrangement made with the Imperial Government last year. Under this paragraph half of the profits on the surplus butter go to the Imperial Government and halt to the New Zealand sellers of tho butter; but it is pointed out that there are others concerned ’ who have an equitable right to share in the profits—namely, tho suppliers of the local New Zealand market. It is beyond the power of the Now Zealand Government, however, to do anything except carrying out the terms of the agreement. The only variation possible would bo through the unanimous consent of the butter manufacturers to another scheme. Otherwise the legal position is that the Government must distribute the profits in question in accordance with the terms of the gazetted notice. The terms upon 1 which the butter manufacturers will sell to the Imperial Government during the coming season, if that Government desires to become a buyer, will also bo discussed by the conference.

It appears that butter producers have in view a proposal to establish something in the nature of an equalisation • fund, comprising nil persons concerned with any of tho milk products —shutter, cheese, glaso, otc.