DELIVERY OF MEAT

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24899, 12 June 1946, Page 8

DELIVERY OF MEAT

RESUMPTION SOUGHT IN AUCKLAND (P.A.) AUCKLAND,. June 11. Housewives arte- faced with a serious future and our difficulties with tradesmen, are increasing every day.” said a Spokeswoman 4<jr women’s or-: ■ gahisatipns' .which met representatives of master butchers to discuss the resumption of. deliveries of meat. Ten women, representing women’s organise ations an the city and suburbs, attendAgreement was reach.eo that the women’s representatives should endeavour to arrange a conferbetween ' themselv.es . and the butchers with. the Price Tribunal authorities. ... The health of women was being seriously injured \by carrying - heavy parcels, waiting; in queues in butchers! shops, and struggling.-home in crowded tramcars, said the president of. the Auckland Women’s Medical Association (Dr. Barbara Roche). Because women were becoming run down in health in this way, their families were suffering as a result. - Similar facts were presented by Miss H. Chapman, of the. Plunket Society, and by other .women, speakers. • A suggestion by one speaker for the butchers that all'- housewives in each district should form an organisation and pay one. man-to, deliver all their goods, vegetables, meat, and groceries on Fridays did not- find favour with the women present.

Delivery Costs The spokesman for the butchers said there was no prospect of delivering until rationing and price controls had been abolished. Shortages of labour and motor vehicles, as well as extra office assistants to handle the accounting arising from deliveries added to the difficulties. A detailed table of costs was placed before the women representatives showing that the delivery of 7501 b of meat a week with a small van would cost almost 4|d for each lb of meat handled, which would have to be added to the cost of meat. Butchers’ costs to-day ellowed no margin to make up such additional expenses, it was explained, ofter a discussion lasting about an hour and a half. Women’s representatives suggested ‘that as price controls and rationings

difficulties had been stated to be an insuperable difficulty, a conference should be sought with the Price Tribunal authorities. The butchers’ representatives expressed agreement with this course and the women undertook to make an approach to the authorities to have such a conference held.