BUTTERFAT LEVY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14340, 3 July 1917, Page 2

BUTTERFAT LEVY.

SHIPPING SHORTAGE AS A FACTOR, ISneclal to Herald.) ; WELLINGTON, this day. J \ The Hon. W. I). S. Mac Donald, Minister m charge of the leVy, informed your cori'esi)ondent that the books m "connection with the schema were closed on June 30 to enable the whole position to be adjusted up to that date. The Government will then knpw exactly what to pay the factories which have supplied the local market, to bring their return up to equivalent to the f.o.b. price. If there is a surplus, it will be returned to all conti'ibuting factories. The Minister was asked if the rumor was correct that no further levy would be made. He replied that it would be for Parliament to say whether there, would be any better method of controlling the local price of butter and cheese, Local factories could get no subsidy from the levy if the f.o.b. prices were- on a parity with local prices. Though the Government has no official information that this position has been reached, he hears unofficially that this is the case. Your correspondent is informed by members interested m opposing the levy that the amount paid by exporting factories under the scheme totals nearly £250,000. The shipping shortage is so acute that' it is hardly likely a levy wjJJ. h© neoessary for some time, as the stocks of butter are bound to remain far m excess of the amount for which cargo space is available. An official estimate of the present position shows that there is sufficient produce m store m New Zealand awaiting export to fill 54 ships. The actual number of steamers available m July is four.