LONDON MEAT SLUMP.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 562, 17 July 1909, Page 3

LONDON MEAT SLUMP.

EFFECT IN'DOMINION. ; SOME'AUCKLAND OPINIONS. '-,

(By'Tolccrapn —Press Association i v " Auckland, July 16 The gltjt m the London meat market is not Moly to lead to the householder obtaining | choapor dinners 'At first sight it would appear that' tho excess of tho supply over the demand at Home would result in a decrease' of exports frorN New Zealand, and 1 consequently greater supply to local markets That 'would mean cheaper carcasses to butchers, and shduld mean less expensiyo meat to tho consumer Anyway, that is tho point of'Vidwimost-biltchers and cUstomeis . wilt naturally take. When tho question, comos to bo looked into, nowev cr,, tho t ap-_ paiently obvious conclusion Jias'to bo modi- j tocj for one reason or another • Question by a "Herald" leportor as to the probable effect "of the present slump in Lon- , Son, Mr. Stringer, local secretary of the ' Auckland Farmers'Trcezing Company, stated to-day that it had come fortunately at a time when there was no stock for export This was the time of tbo year when stock and 1 meat wore always dcarost It would be , January beforo the' export season set in \ again, and by that time it was to be hoped the glut would be over at Homo and the demand normal once more. As it was now a between-seasons-'-periodj butehors would not benofit to'any , extent, as fat stock was not offering m tho proportion, it was in the flush of the season Should the slump' last until the beginning'of next export season, farmers woufd, ho thought, have no option Lot to bring down" * their' prices Auoklana, he pointed out, exported very little mutton, it was- nearfy tall lambs Now, lamb was nob a household commodity to any extent, though «w doubt, it " J}" 0 cheaper, it would be more largely bought by ' families ' Discussing tho/ relative pride oi meat to tho consumer' hert/and to the Home consumer, Mr. Stringer remarked that it nad" to, be, remembered that Home quotations for mutton at, say, da per lb represented the wholesale price for 8 line of "The English buyer did not purchase merely a leg of mutton at that price, but 100 sheep or more. In. the case of tho local butcher, he bought at catch prices, guessing the weight of tho eheep or lamb. Even though he got 6d. per lb. for a leg of mutton, that was not to aay that he averaged that'pneo for the whole sheep, as he ebought it.-- ,The point ( was often -raised, but the householder at Home did not necessarily get his ,New Zealand 1 mutton cheaper r than the Now Zealander Ho might paj as much as 8d per'lb. for , it * Howeverj vt'would bo difficult to, get , al tho price of moat to the local butcher' in ,his 'shop" . It pot only tho" butcher but tho farmer who'kept prices Up r ' - ' Inquiries made among' representatives of \ the butchering trado went to show,that, glut or no glut, retail prices are not at all likely to be reduced Thel slump has come r along since the exporters sent out their ments, and many of them are now bewailing their ill-luck Tho 'present 'effect, however] is mostly felt by the largo sheep and stock owners, who deal practically iri buQf, and ship direct t to markets in preference to their' stock to the local trade. For this reason, the butchers say, it is not ot all likely that they will bo , able to i buy cheaper and sell at reduced prices , TKoy ' arguo that the slump will not tempt tho large "growera" to split up their floofcs and deal } them out piecemeal, even were the slump to ~ last until next export season. So far, as * lajnbs'are concerned, it is not thought probv. able 'there' will be any reduction in prices The "growers" will their limbs , back, and ( sell them at a later opportunity as mutton, i • . ~ ' i