THE PRICE OF BUTTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14281, 1 August 1908, Page 10

THE PRICE OF BUTTER.

AN ANOMALY EXPLAINED. (From Our Ovik Correspondent.) ' WELLINGTON, July 31. The question wnv New Zealand butter should bo sold in Wellington for 2|d moro than it is eo ld (or in London was put to Mr J. G. Harkness, seoretary of the National Dairy Association by a Post reporter to-day, and his reply was, in sliort: " It is a question of supply and demand. It is not," ho addod, "for mo to pass judgment upon tho methods of business men, but tho fact that wo are in tha middle of winter, and that butter from all dairy countries J6 pouring into London in the middle of summer, will explain tho present London price. Tho local holdings arc quito inadequate for local needs. Wellington uses 15 tons of butter a week, and there arc only 20,000 boxes in store in the Dominion--an extremely small supply. There is practically no butter being made ill tho South Island. The big dairying centre at Taicri is under water, New hitter will not be to hand until early in September. Tho cow 6 begin to give milk again at tho end of August or the beginning of tho following month, but one never knows whether the feed or the weather will bo favourable to an early start. We may look to no butter, or practically none, for another month. Consequently "there must continue to be a shortage.