LOCAL BUTTER PRICES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11507, 1 October 1915, Page 2

LOCAL BUTTER PRICES.

—♦ THE EXPORT FACTOR. IM!B.\lli™ M.AKrNC; Kl'IJ, INQIiJIMI'jS. ' Special to "Star.") WKLUNGTON, Srptemlvr HO. Tim 111 tho ]>l leu i-(f ")!l!,u-r [or local roiiMimpTion and :tlso ihc rise iti freight. rates mi f.lii.s commodity wm-«< again brought Imm'ovo tiw notion tit tlic Prime Minister by'im-mbar;- vliif. ;i (tnrnoo)). \lr Hunter opened tho iroight f|UO3fioti by asking it' the Prime -Minister would not/ do .something to prevent the .inc.rca->.e of Hi I per box made l>y tho shipping companies. Mr Ma-saoy jeplied in similar tonu* to his remarks on the subject the other (lay, Ktatiiig that tho mat-tor was really in tho hands of the Imperial Hoard of Trade, which had accepted. the existing freights to Australia as flip standard and had raised tho New Zealand freights to tho samo level. lie explained that he had cabled to Lon<lon to ask if they would reconsider their decision, but ho hardly especfccd a favourable reply. Mr Pari- followed up with a. Question about the local prices- He said that he had been advised that in Auckland the prioe had bwn ra'sed to Is < r >d per lb rota.il. Northern Members: It is up to 3 s 6d. Mr Parr: Then I would suggest that as butter is a food, tho regulation of tho retail price is in tho hands of the Government, under the powers of the statute, and that tho Prime Minister take early action to have the price of commodities i?o widely used by our own people reduced to a reasonable figure. Several What is a reasonable figure? The Prim® Minister replied that when oei'tain Wellington merchants increased the retail price of butter a week ago ho cabled to London to ascertain the position, because ho was nob at all certain, that the local price was in proportion to the export' price. Ho received a reply t*> the effect that there was no Now Zealand butter on the London market at that time, but if any were offered it would bo the easiest thing to place it at 160s per cwt. That price would com© back practically to tho wholesale and retail prices charged in New Zealand. Tho whole point was that the factories and merchants could get practically tho same price they were charging locally by exporting the butter. The increase on freights would make a difference of a. farthing per lb, but he was having the whole thing looked He had <il~ ready received a report from tho head of the Agricultural Department, but ho intended to have the matter looked into further. "I shall be very glad if tho prico oan bo kept down to a reasonable one, but wq must not interfere unnecessarily with the export trade," declared Mr Massey, adding: ' 4 The Germans have practically bought all the available Danish butter, consequently the supply to Britain has been interfered with. A tremendous demand has sot in, partly due, perh*pa, to tho fact that shipments of Au» tralian and New Zealand buttor liavo not yet arrived. People her© found that they were .able to got moro by exporting than they were getting locally, and accordingly the price was put up. I am mof> attempting to defend tho position, but that is what exists.' 5 . , Mr Hine asked the Pnmo Minister if lie were aware that tho retail storokeopera were supplied with, butter by the Taranaki companies, and hoi presumed by ofliers, at a. penny per lb below the export price. , The Prime Minister: T shall then bo very glad indeed to make an offer on behalf of the Wellington and Auckland people to take all tho butter available at one penny per lb below tho export price, and I hope the Taranaki people will come along with it. (Hearty laughter.)