FOOD PRICES.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 February 1925, Page 3

FOOD PRICES.

LATEST CABLE NEWS

MEAT TRADE EVIDENCE. [Reuters Telegrams.] LONDON, February 5. That‘economy was a necessity, and nut a choice that compelled British workers to buy imported meat, was the contention of the English-Scottisli Cooperative Society Butchery manager, in giving evidence before the food Commission to-day. It was testified to the change in popular taste for meat. Hughes, the secretary of the Co-oper-ative Retail Butchers Association whose forty-one societies in (170 shops did a trade amounting to forty million Ihz. annually, said people no longer ’ ;ul cold meat dished up daily. They to steak, chops and small choice cuts, nr.t the cheaper larger boiling pieces as he fore the war. This coupled with tlu shortage of stock and increased population, markedly affected prices, hut Mr Hughes expressed the opinion that the shortage was artificially created by the operations of control hoards in various producing countries, lie gave an inspancu of New Zealand .land) which had reached a price* far beyond the dreams of the originator of Die control system. Hughes urged the more extensive importation of Canadian cattle. Asked whether chil'c i ct frozen meat were interchangeable in the trade Hughes said co-operative societies did not handle frozen, t!ioy dealt with chilled and very little thereof. He added that there was a very large trade in New Zealand lamb and mutton.

Sir Auckland Geddes expressed great astonishment at a statement showing there was eighteen per cent, profit on Canterbury lamb assuming the price was a shilling per lb. Hughes said lamb from New Zealand was labelled Canterbury, but he agreed to furnish further particulars. Sir Auckland Geddes said the matter was important as the interchange ' of qualities was one of the big problems before the Commission.