§ 37. Mr. McSHANEasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the price of butter within the Commonwealth of Australia and the c.i.f. price at which Australian butter is sold on import into the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. GILLETTAccording to my information the wholesale price of the choicest grade of butter in Australia for the first week in December, 1930, was 135s. 4d. per cwt. in Victoria and Tasmania, 128s. 4d. in South Australia, 142s. in New South Wales, 168s. in Queensland; the quotations are in Australian currency. The average recorded value of butter imported into the United Kingdom declared as consigned from Australia during the month of December was 104s. per cwt. I am unable to say how closely the figures are comparable.
§ Mr. BOYCEIs the Secretary of the Overseas Trade Department aware that the Australian Dairy Produce Board, who are responsible for importing and marketing this butter, are anxious to obtain the highest price that competition in this country will allow; and is he also aware that last year the importation of Danish butter was two and a half times more than that of Australian butter which has to compete with it?
§ Mr. McSHANEIs not this an excellent example of dumping?
§ 38. Mr. McSHANEasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the price of wheat within the United States of America, and the c.i.f. price at which wheat from the United States of America is sold on import into the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. GILLETTAccording to published information the quotation in Chicago for a representative grade of wheat, namely: No. 2 hard winter wheat on 21st January, 1931, was reported as equivalent to 6s. 1½d. per cwt. I have no information which would give the c.i.f. price at which wheat of identical grade of United States origin was being sold on import into the United Kingdom at that date but the average recorded value of wheat imported into the United Kingdom during December declared as consigned from the United States was 6s. 8½d. per cwt.