THE PRICE OF MEAT.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1702, 4 August 1879, Page 2

THE PRICE OF MEAT.

To the Editor of the Globe.

SIE, —When the bakers ry'eed the piico of bread at the lime Hour was at an extremely low price, the Globe did good service to the publio by showing the absurdity and injustice of such a proceeding. I beg now to csll jour attontion to the aclion of the butchers in raising the price of meat. The butchers, in an advertisement, unanimously say, " On account of the rise in the value of fat stock, the following prices will be charged," &2., indicating a rise of a penny a pound on beef a*id pork, and a half-penny on mutton. On referring to the livj stockjtnarket reports for the week ending July 31st, I find the following by one of the leading firms in Christchurch : —" The fat cattle market was again remarkably well filled, the quality in one or two instances being exceptionally prime—in fact, superior to anything we have seen in these yards for many months—but owing to the large quantity of beef which has been forced into the market of late (more particularly last week) even the best quality failed to elicit anything like reasonable values ; ,; ght weights suffered a still fmrther depreciation in prices." With regard to mutton, the same firm says, " Thoro was a total absence of spirit and competition throughout, the sale beiug exceedingly dragging, with a difficulty in clearing lines at last week's quotations." You will observe that there is a remarkable discrepancy between the statement of the butchers and that of the auctioneers. The butchers should know their own business best; probably they have a cogent reason for th« "rise." I know th« tradesmen in Chriatchurch give almost indiscriminate credit, and

thereby incur many losses. Perhaps the butchers have adopted the plan of making those who do pay in some measure make up their losses, forgetting at the same time that the public have the opportunity of reading all the market reports. Yours. &c. ' ' CARNARIUS.