MEAT PRICES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 294, 31 August 1918, Page 10

MEAT PRICES

EXPERIMENTS IN AUSTRALIA STATE INTERVENTION Australian papers mako frequent reference to the situation caused by the fixing of prices by the Federal Government. The shortage of stock caused by a short period of drought accentuated the position, and now that good rains have been experienced graziors naturally want to put some condition on their stock before selling (says an exchango). The wholesale price of beef in Sydney has been fixod at 425. per 1001b., and the retail prices from 6d. per lb. for boneless leg beef to Is. Id. for rump steak and Is. 2d. for fillet steak. Mutton is od. per lb. wholesale, and from 4d. per lb. for scrag neck to 9d. per lb. for leg and middle' loin chops retail. Lamb is 9d. per lb; wholesale, and 7d. for forequarter whole to lOd. per lb. for loins and chops retail. In Adelaide the wholesale prices are:—For beef 50s. per 1001b., 6d. per lb. for mutton, and 7d. per lb. for lamb, and retail prices are Id. to 2d. per lb. higher than in. Sydney. On a recent day at Homebush; Sydney, both cattle and sheep were above the Government fixed prices. Tho prico of beef on the hoof was 555. to 60s. per 1001b;, prime heavy bullocks selling up to £26 per head", while crossbred wethers and ewes sold up to 555. Id., and merino wethers to 51s. 7d. At the Fleniington fat stock sales, Melbourne,- prices wore higher than in Sydnoy, prime bullocks selling up to £28 95., and cows to £21 25., prime crossbred wethers to 565., ewes to 485., and merino wethers to 435. Last season's lambs brought up to 41s. 6d., and spring lambs to 265. Mr. Eyan, the Queenslamd Premier, who has been Visiting the Southern.States, has been ridiculing the Federal Government's action in regard to the fixing of prices and endeavouring to show how much "better Queensland has managed things. Mr. Gunn, a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly,- recently told another side of the Queensland ■story. He said that Mr. Eyan had stated in Melbourne that "when the agents are cornering the markets wo send a couplo of hundred 'fats' to tho markets, and the prices drop." As a matter of fact, the Government had sent only 283 'head of cattle to tho markets in the year 1917, and only 40 in 1918. Mr. Eyan also said in Melbourne that the Government owned 108,000 cattle, so, according to tho average"systom of one-fifth output, the Government should bo able to sell 21,500 head of cattle a yea.r. The Queensland Government has been previously, charged with sending their cattle to the freezing works for export to England, and private owners have been compelled to supply the local market at prices lower than the export values. In South Australia- again it is stated that while the Federal Government has been exercising its war pow.ers to reduce the price of meat, the State Government has been active in the' open markets in keeping up the price of meat! It appears that the State Produce Depot, .which until recent years was used as a medium of consignment, has become a trading concern, and it sends its representative' into the slieep and cattle markets to buy straight out for the Department. In order to encourage pig-raising, tho Government fixed a minimum price for porfc, but over and above this action the Department buys at a higher price than the minimum in the open market, with a result that bacon curers and others have had to go to Victoria, where pigs can bo purchased and landed .in Adelaide at 10s. eaoh cheaper than the market prices. State interference with the stock markets in Australia las been anything but successful, and is a continual source of dissatisfaction.