RETAIL MEAT SUBSIDIES

Chronicle (Levin), 10 August 1946, Page 7

RETAIL MEAT SUBSIDIES

-Press Association '

l PROMPT PAYMENT WANTED

Ev Telearavh-

ClLBlSTCiil'HBli, August 9. 1 ' Delavs iu ihe payments of the retail ] ! subsidy were'fully discussed at a meel j j mg of the Xew Zealand .Masterj jButchers' Association lield at Wel.ling- I : 1 011 early iu the Week, reported the j | president of hlie Association, Mr. W. S | Uughes, today. ('orrespondence with) j the Minister of Iudustries aml Com-I j merce and Oo-veriiment Dejiartiuents j concerned, was tabled at the meeting. I Butchers were compellcd by jirice orders to sell great ly below cost and to ( omjiensate for this the (loverniuem paid a subsidy of 2/4 for every £1 of I current'coupous coll'ected. The subsidy/ however, was not paid promptly in spite j of repeated requests by butchers, said Mr. Ilughes. Payments in the Christchurch district had only been made to April and similar reports had been received froni other centres. KepresenBv j lions to ihe authorities invariably I brouglit the rep.lv tluit payments had been lodged with tlie Treasury or tliai | tlie delays w-ere caused by shortages of staff. "These delays aiul excuses for nonI payment to butchers of their just dues, involve thousauds of pounds," said II r. j Ilughes. "I11 some instances, for example in the case of relvabilitated ser vicemen, the dela.v forees traders into most embarrassing iinancial circuiustances. " The public would appredate, he add ed, that the trade could not carry on [and render ellicient service to consumers I in present circumstances. The (lovern inent had been advised that nothing 1 other than prompt payments to bring sulisidies up-to-date where returns were , in order. would be acceptable.