BUTTER PRICES.

Waipa Post, Volume XVIII, Issue 1009, 21 October 1920, Page 5

BUTTER PRICES.

HOME, SEPARATION ANOMALY # AND THE BACK-BLOCKS FARMER. (By Telegraph—Special to Post.) "Wellington, Wednesday. "Provision is made at the present time for the payment of a subsidy of 6d. per lb., to dairy farmers supplying gutter to dairy factories, but no provision appears to have been made for the. payment of this subsidy to the smalf farmer in v the backblocks wheve.»there are no dairy factories," «aid,Mr R. Masters (Stratford) in the House yesterday. The member wished to know whether the farmer producing separator butter in places where there were no factories would be granted the same concession as those living in more favoured parts. The Minister replied that he was not able to make a definite statement on the matter at the moment, though he appreciated the point that had been raised. He thought, with the member for Stratford, that the people who were not within the reach of creamery or factory required some encouragement, since upon them on country would in part depend for its supply of butter in years to come. He would like to put them in the same position as the other butter-producers if it could be done, but he would first lave to inquire what was the quantity of the butter produced by the small men in the back-blocks, and whether the butter was fit for export. He would look into the matter and make a statement regarding it.

LABOUR MEMBERS' COMPLAINT. GOVERNMENT COULD NOT WAIT The right of the Government to fix the retail prrce of butter at 2/3 pei lb., in view of the fact that the recommendation of the Butter Committee on this point is still before Parliament, was questioned in the House on Tuesday, by Mr Parry (Auckland Cen- . tral). The House, said Mr Parry, had not yet voted on the amendment moved by a Labour member proposing that the retail price should be 1/9. Mr Massey said that the Government had not required the consent of the House. It had asked the House to set up a committee, and this committee, after considering the 'matter very fully, had made a recommendation, which the Government haa adopted. The, proclamation fixing the pries of butter at the level proposed # by the committee had been issued. The Government could not reasonably keep the people waiting any longer.