Retailing of Meat

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20006, 3 August 1939, Page 16

Retailing of Meat

Sir, —I am pleased to see at las', that Parliament is going to move in the right direction to stop the freezing works from- competing with the local, butchers. lit mu sit be recognised that the [freezing works are doing harm to what is a legitimate trade; otherwise the butchers of. the Dominion. would not have petitioned the Government to act. 'The freezing works should keep to the freezing of meat, -and not compete with the butchers in retailing meat to the public I see “Pro Bono Publico” mentions the price of lamb only to the public, but he does not -say what profit the company receives from the sale of oork or beef. The public of Gisborne now find that they can purchase fresh killed beef, mu -ton, etc., at a price to suit the pocket, so why buv frozen meat, and rejects at that? I know which I would sooner buy—fresh meat every time, with service, which the public must admit they get when they go to the local butcher. It is well known, that if the farmers do not claim their rejects by a certain time following the day of killing they were taken, to the butcher’s shop to be sold to the public, at a loss to the producer and a considerable gain to the freezing company. No wonder the poor (firmer cannot complain even in the local press because he has to lake what the linns offer him. I would like to know wha-t'the profit was in the butcher’s shop at our local works. I am quite sure our local butchers’ profits would not be seen alongside of it. I-t is -a fact that the local butchers have to rely on the local market for their stock and as the prices fluctuate the public now