SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE'S FIGURES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3442, 2 March 1920, Page 7

SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE'S FIGURES.

FOOD MINISTRY REPLY. (Fbou Ouh Own Correspondent.) L LONDON, December 22. Mr George H. Roberts, M.P., Food Controller, has sent the following reply to a member of Parliament, who had written complaining of '' the enormous prolits " made by the Ministry of Food out of the necessaries of life, such as imported meat: "As regards the allegation that the Ministry of Food is profiteering in imported meat and .butter, I should like to take this opportunity of rebutting an unfounded charge. Taking meat first, the figures quoted by Sir Thomas Mackenzie in the newspaper cutting which you sent me, relate only to the price of meat at the time it enters the refrigerating works in New Zealand. • To this price has to bo added the enormous cant of freight charges, insurance, interest on advances to the vendor, storage in New Zealand until shipment, storage in this country, distribution charges, and railage. The net result is that Australasian meat is being sold by the Ministry of Food to-day as nearly as possible at its actual cost to the Ministry. As regards butter, there is no profiteering by the Ministry of Food. " Our aim in financing butter purchases is to. secure butter from all sources at the -lowest possible price. We sell butter to the consumer through the equitable rationing system at a price which only allows us a margin for contingencies. That margin is. much smaller than trade firms would claim. Butter is being sold in- this country to-day at a price far below the price in any country on the Continent of Europe, and 5d per lb cheaper than the retail price in the United States."