MEAT WARRANTY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 485, 19 April 1909, Page 3

MEAT WARRANTY.

.Tho demand of British butchers for a warranty of soundness from fanners for all beasts sold at tho cattlo sales continues to hold buyers and sellers asunder. If a final rupture should result, imported meat might for a whilo v bave an "innings." Tho following' interesting summary of tho situation appeared in a recent issuo of tho London "Times":— , , "Further information elicited regarding the dispute between farmers and butchers on the granting of a meat warranty confirms tho view expressed,last week that the controversy is not equally acuto in all districts. It exists mainly in the eastern and northern counties, or where tho fattening of cattlo is a prominent item in the farming system. In Norfolk; the question is engaging much attention, as is natural in a county where winter grazing is conducted on an oxtensivo scale. It is a hopeful sign, that opinion is united in a determination to rosist tho demand of the butchers. Tho Norfolk farmers v are resisting the demand on iho ground that the granting of a warranty' would bo imprac- - ticablo. , Norfolk sends' fat cattlo into all markets directly 'or indirectly; and, as it would be difficult to trace tho individual beasts, the fanners feel that compliance with the demand for a warranty would 1 expose' them to fraudulent claims. , - "In Yorkshire also the position is. some-I what troubled, 'though so far matters have ' not reached an acute stage. There is no disposition on 'the part of stock owners, however, to concede,the point 'demanded by the butchers. In tho opinion of''one of tho, leading' stock owners ;n the county,, tho best way out of tho difficulty would be for farmers to combine and establish .meat stores in tho large towns, and supply thom with their own cattlo. Apart from the warranty question, our correspondent considers that the farmers would be justified in adopting this t course. is convinced that tho present system of selling both cattlo and sheep operates adversely to the producer. He writes:—'l do not'know of any other business that is conducted in such a happy-go-lucky way, and I have no hesitation in saying the butchers get quantities of beef and mutton for nothing, and tho farmer never Teally knows what price'ho-gete per stone.' This observation exactly, sums up tho situation, and,-besides arguing in favour of co-operative meat stores, owned by farmers, makes out a very strong case for i;ho adoption of the weighbridge in tlo marketing of livo stock. '-'In -tho south-western district, as has been .already noticed, the warranty dispute is , scarcely known; and tho remarks of a Monmouthshire correspondent upon the question aro instructive. He writes:—'The meat

warranty question, does not trouble us here, as we adopted tho warranty principle moro ', than five years ago/ and it has worked to the entire satisfaction of all parties. ''Farmers oro convinced that, they get an increase in prices at our auctions far exceeding'the small premium-oi insurance—namely, 6d. forhoifers and steers, and Is. for cowe and bulli3. Moreover; by the adoption of this'sysfcam we are getting many customers who- would .otherwise go to the dead meat markets, and it appears to us that it must 'be good policy' to keep butchers away from tho dead'meat markets as far as possible.' ". ,