DOMINION'S CHEESE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 907, 6 January 1917, Page 3

DOMINION'S CHEESE.

PRODUCERS' POSITION. A GOOD BARGAIN OBTAINED. [Special to The Sun.l WELLINGTON, January-5. The price to be paid by the Imperial Government for New Zealand cheese, bought f.o.b. in this country, is substantially higher than the early reports gave ground for expecting." Producers who are to receive 9Jtl for their cheese in New Zealand ports may esteem themselves fortunate, since there is no doubt that a grave shortage of shipping would have forced them to accept a lower rate if it had been offered. Some points remain to be adjusted. "We have still to deal with the problem of the private sales," said the Minister of Agriculture this evening. "Many of the factories have contracted for the sale of their output already, but we do not know the terms of the deals. Some of the contracts contained clauses providing for the possibility of the Government commandeering the cheese, but others did not. We are going to ask the factories and the merchants to put the facts clearly before the Government, and we will try then to arrange matters on a fail - basis. The cheese must all be placed on the same basis. If it is not the cheese bought by the Imperial Government is likely to have preference in the matter of shipping .space, and 1 need hardlycxpSain what that means to consignments bought by merchants." The Minister did not explain the intentions of the Government, but ins remarks indicated that only the cheese acquired by the Imperial authorities under the new arrangement has a reasonable chance of getting to the British market without the delay thai spells deteriora-j tion. That being the case, it may be assumed that existing contracts, made on the assumption that ordinary shipping facilities would be available, will have to be revised, at least in some cases. The Imperial authorities are not making any threats or attempting to force the hands of producers. The simple fact is that they are concerned only with the provision of cheese for army purposes, and New Zealand must make its arrangements according! v.