BUTCHERS COMBINE TO KEEP PRICES DOWN

Chronicle (Levin), 4 September 1947, Page 7

BUTCHERS COMBINE TO KEEP PRICES DOWN

DUXEDIN, Sept. 2. It is understood that Dunedin retail butchers will not compete against each other at th'e Burnside stock market tomorrow, having reached agreement on limit prices beyond which they will not go. The limits were fixed at a speeial meetiug 0f butchers and it is believed that they are considerably lower than the prices for sheep and cattle paid at Burnside recently. The president of the Dunedin Master Butchers ' 'Association, Mr. J. E. Bartlett, has denied' that butchers intend closing their shops, but there is a distinct possibility that during the eomilig week butchers' shops in Dunedin will have little or nothing to offer the public. lveen competition at auction has in the past forced butchers to pay exceptioually high prices while retail prices have renxained lixed. Oue of the many interesting aspects of the situation is that the master butchers are preparing an applicatior. to the Price Tribunal for a new scale of retail prices while the Meat Produeers' Boaj'd is preparing an increased scale of prices to be paid for fat stock. It is certain that the public will have to pay more for meat in the future, but before the increased prices aj'e sanctioned it is likely that the public will have to go short.