MINISTERIAL WARNING.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Issue 3941, 8 July 1918, Page 2

MINISTERIAL WARNING.

An article in Saturday's Post explained how boomers of dried milk had excited hopes of 3s to 4s per lb for butter-fat. Thrills, which recall the old gold-rush days, are stirring many dairy farmers in the North. Those who have, been getting rich steadily have a vision of a sudden spring to great wealth. By the magic of milk powder their returns; from the cows are to be much multiplied.

When the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. D. S. McDonald, was at Taihape the other day, he gave a note of warning against the basing of immense expectations on the present prices of dried milk. Practically, the Minister advised the dairymen to look well before leaping into the new schemes.

It is understood that the expectation of enormous profits from the manufacture of dried milk is mainly due to the price now paid for this product by the Imperial Government. Contractors in the supplying countries have been able to outbuy butter and cheese factories, because the milk-drying firms have been able to pass on the extra price to the Imperial Government. Careful inquiries by a ''Post" representative confirm the statement that these increases have

been thus passed on