OUTLOOK IN WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 9

OUTLOOK IN WELLINGTON.

WELLINGTON, August 12.

The price of butter remains unchanged to-day at Is 6d per 1b retail for top brands,- but good qualities may be had at Is sd. The fancy prices have, however, brought a number of poorer makes into the market. It appears that Australian buyers in Wellington, who ordinarily would buy lines of several hundred boxes, recently took only little lota of 50 boxes at Wellington rates. As if in order to add to the perplexity, the Government's agent at Melbourne telegraphed to the Industries Department yesterday as follows : " A butter famine exists in Victoria. Butter is being sold at Is lOd wholesale, and the market rising.'' The cable also dates that there is a great demand for fat cattle, there being practically no cattle fit for the market in Victoria at present.

On the other hand, there was a drop of 40s per cwt in Sydney and Melbourne yesterday, and the fall is expected to continue. This advice, forwarded by the Press Association from Sydney, is confirmed by private cables.

Inquiries are still being made in Wellington for South Africa, but the butter is not to be obtained. It is not unlikely, however, that there will be some ship-

nients made to the Cape shortly in order to fill contracts, and for this butter a fancy price will have to be paid. There has been a 20 per cent, drop in the salea of butter by grocers in Wellington during' the past five days, and jams, treacly and other substitutes for butter have im creased in sale as the j>rice of butter has risen. If the weather keeps fairly genial for this time of the year, and especially m Taranaki, there should be plenty of new butter coming into the market, and tb.4 price should fall accordingly.