HIGH PRICES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 189, 22 July 1940, Page 4

HIGH PRICES

Sir, —I often read about different businesses charging high prices and that the Government will see'that the public are not fleec&d. Don't you think it is past time now for them to come to Whakatane anil see what we are charged for meat? Cattle and sheep this last Summer were low in price and yet butchers are charging up to 200 per cent over purchases. Recently I asked for 1% lbs of rump steak and was charged 2/9 d. By its appearance, shape, colour and toughness it was all of fifteen years old. It is time we had a public abattoir. We could then expect better meat and get it. Yours etc., ' SUFFE^W^ (The above letter has been referred to the local butchers for comment. It is pointed out in the first place that the price cited by our correspondent is erroneous—the set price is 1/2 per lib. Therefore the charge should have been and probabty was 1/9 (not 2/9). The traders point out further that with the hides and skins market a,t bedrock, tha Wellington tribunal empowered the all-round increase of }£d per lib. In Whakatane however it was agreed to make no increase but to keep prices at the- same level as they have been for months. Our correspondent will probably welcome this information. Ed).