PRICE OF MEAT

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17120, 15 April 1921, Page 6

PRICE OF MEAT

READJUSTMENT NECESSARY. I BUTCHERS MEET BOARD 0? 1 TRADE. 1 • $ City butchers and members of Hbs 1 local Price-fixing Tribunnl met in con- | forence last night to consider tho (pm. | tion of the retail price of meat | There were present, rcpreeenting tl* j Tribunal, Messrs C. P. Agar (chairman* ' E. H. Andrews, A. Manhiro, and 0. M. \ Christie (secretary). With the member* ; of vho Tribunal were also Messrs J. | Stafford, veterinary surgeon to the { Agricultural Department, and S. Hook, ! Government Meat Inspector. Abo«t» fifty local butchers were in attendant*. Mr Agar explained that the confi*. eneo had been called on account of the widespread discontent bec.iiwe the pn'ta of meat was not being adjusted in accordance with tho falling price of stock. The Tribunal hnd taken stejv, to trat* Uio stock from tho Addington yiafo through the abattoir to the table, and had also Mtn>lar figures for the vnrioßS centres in Canterbury. They had also a list of the prices charged, and tlie cost of stock in other ventres. The conferonce had been called, ho s,nid. to too whether some adjustment of prices wtn possible, or whether it would U< nccw. sary to take the matter further. TheM wore difficulties in tho way, ho admitted, diffonmt qualities of meat being sold in different shops. The Tribunal hnd no desire to be hard on Ihobutcbem, but they must understand tint prices must be adjusted. , It was stated by an offirinl of tJmi Master Butchers' Association thnfc tb<v butchers had boon working for man?! years upon a system which kept prices down when stock was high in price.' Wlicu prices were down, «« nt'projcn:, tiho butchers expected to make np tho leeway. At times stock was so hifcb. thnt. butchers hnd hnd to soil nt a low. Prices had recently been reduced. Thai butchers would like some suggestion from tho Tribunal as to what price* were suggested as reasonable. Tlhc chairman' enid that in Otfar centres tho butchers suggested prion to the Tribunal whioh wero agreed to il satisfactory. If not, they hnd to ba further adjusted. Tho butchers nraft suggest lower pricca, ,*8 the pmeit prices wore admitted to ho unroMoa-i able. Y Tho master butcher*' representor* said ho did not mean to infer that prk» wero unreasonable. He assumed tw tho prices obtained br tho Tributal varied considerably, but tho keen coti« • petition in Christchurch cnMired prices being kept as low ns possible It was admitted that a fair perccntnge of pro.'; nt was being made at the present ttnw.j It would be difficult, however, to fix a general schedule of prices. Different*] businesses had to have different pru»V according to ciroumstnnccs. i Another speaker said thnt the Trflnvi nal's exoerfcs might be bating thtfeT figures on a basis of £2 10s per 1001b 1 live weight, whilst the hntiAoro might! be working on n bnsis of £3 per lOQib. # 1 Mr Agar said ho could not quote bit figures as they were confidential, an 4 could onlv bo published if the matton wero taken before the Court. Tho Tribunal's rricos wero based upon thrM classes of meat —first quality, Bcconit quality, and inferior. At tlhis stage it was decided to nt opt a committee representing the butcnetSj to go into tho matter in camera with, the Tribunal.