THE PRICE OF BUTTER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 147, 14 August 1911, Page 8

THE PRICE OF BUTTER.

The Hon. W. Beehan is seriously disturbed about the price of butter. Hu thinks it is like eating gold to eat butter at eightecnpenca per pound, as at present. Apparently he is one of those politicians (remarks tho Christchurch “Press”) who smells a trust or a ring whenever the price of any article of food goes up, and his rpmedy for the present state of the retail butter market in Auckland is for the Government to buy huge quantities of butter when it is cheap,, so that it could “regulate the supply and the price when monopolists endeavour to force the price up.” Tho particular monopoly that Mr Beehan is indicating in this instance happens to bo tlio long spell of dry weather l ist season, which had the natural effect of reducing butter supplies and raising-the price. And against the weather even Mr Booliah, M.L.C., is powerless. A further point to bo considered is that the appearance of the Government as a large buyer in the butter market would have much tho same effect as a drought, and tho only result would be that wo should have to pay drought prices when wc might bo expecting a little relief. In any case Mr Beehan needn’t worry ; tho Government has a store of butter and will make it cheap enough in November, though it will probably fail to please tho taste of most of the doctors.