THE BUTTER SEASON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17084, 16 August 1917, Page 5

THE BUTTER SEASON

PRODUCERS ArsXIOUS. (Fnon Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 15 The dairy farmers of New Zealand are very anxious with regard to the ooming butter season. Much uncertainty exists tS to the provision of shipping facilties to enable them to get their butter to the English market'. The outlook is a frequent topic of conversation among country members of Parliament, and various solutions of the problem are being put forward. - Somo members aro of opinion that it may be nee.saury for tho Government to take tho matter in hand in a very resolute manner. It is suggested that the Government should buy up the whole butter output and take the responsibility of getting it sent to tho English market. It i? contended that if this course were adopted]/ there would be a better chance of obtaining the necessary shipping space than if tho marketing had to be arranged by private enterprise. It is not a question of commandeering, but of tho State coming to the rescue of the farmers.

The Government has been giving the ma tT careful thought, and it is understood that the Prime Minister would bo ready to give sympathetic consideration to any reasonable suggestions which , might bo placed before him. If there were no ot.hr> r way out of the difficulty the Government might possibly bo prepared to purchase the output at, say, Is 4d per lb, and' pruaranteo that the retail price in Now Zealand would not exceed Is 6d. The Government would, it is suggested, keep onehalf of the profit made on the butter shinned to Ensrlind and srivc the other half to the producers. This solution has a u-ond deal of snoport, and is reason to believe that the Prime Minister would bo ready to take action in •' c direction indicated if the butter producers, as a body, should so desire.