THE MEAT QUESTION AGAIN.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 140, 31 August 1864, Page 3

THE MEAT QUESTION AGAIN.

To the Editor of the Lake Wakatip Mail. Sir,—Absence from Queestown has prevented my replying to the very illogical letter of "Nemo" iu answer to my former one. Permit me, however, before enteriug further into the matter to congratulate the public upon the success, though by no means equal to what it should be, attendant upon the discussion of the question. The Queeustownites have gained a reduction from Is 3d per lb. to something likeßd or lOd per lb, which is a step in the right direction ; bat that is all that can be said of it. In common reason, meat should—with the splendid pastoral and agricultural country we are surrounded by— be, at most, little more than half these rates at this period of our settlement. That it is not so is a clear proof that something is wrong. It is into this point we must search. "Nemo," Sir, tells your readers that it is th? combination of the butchers that has raised the price to a rate beyond the b mods of reason. He says he has " taken more than ordinary trouble to ascertain why an article so necessary to sustain life should be selling at Is 3d." I have also since my return been trying to find out the cause, aud have challenged the butchers on the statement of "Nemo." I said to them "you have bsen telling me that the •• lordiy man of Queenstown was the cause of you keeping up the price of meat, how can you reconcile that statement with Nemo's' letter? he at least is in the secret, and well informed, or else he would not write so positively upon the subject." The sequel was a row. I was told in the courteous language that drops so gracefully from the lips of the "knights of the cleaver" that I was "aliusa grumbling," and that -'Nemo" was a ." It is unnecessary to conclude the sentence with the strong adjective language used, or else I might be the ininKreut cause of introducing an irate but heavy* Weighted citizen to the notice of our worthy " beak" for using language calculated to provoke a breach of the peace. To be told that I was always grumbling wis quite an insult. I would, though I aii a quiet fellow, like to have knocked him down, but he was such a heavy man, and Professor Griffiin says I have the bump ot caution very huge, so I did not carry out my sanguinary ideas. I was, however, very magniloquent. Was not the dignity of thu press at stak3 ? Had they not inserted my letter. Had not Mr Cheap I'utcher replied to the truth of my principles by packing in meat to Queenstown, and there in spite of the lordly man of Queenstown, sold at the rates I had contended for Oh! Sir, it was a hard struggle ; and then, that other horrid, butcher, to whom I went in despair and got a piece meat cut fro n near the horn, grinned at me as he took my money, aud asked me almost sardonically if I had heard the news. I thought for b moment he had further laid a " Father of a Family" under a heavier load of affliction than before, and I groaned in sad distress, and said "what is it, sir?" The reply, given with grin intensified, was, "Oh, the cheap butcher has sold out for a £IOO bonus The meat was tough, besides being bought at lOd. per lb. My amiable better-half told me I was a 'duffer," and that Mrs Gamp, next door, had oh ! such a lovely sirloin purchased at Sd per lb., and yet that nasty piece cost lOd per lb. I indignantly repudiated the charge of having played billiards for the table and drinks. James could not cat it, and said he could get abetter dinner at the store, and my other children all found fault. Now this is very distressing, the money goes, the prospects before me are bad, and during the sleeple>s hours of the night that followed that day, I tried to solve the question who was in the wrong—" Nemo" or the butchers. Now, the public must assist me in my efforts to ascertain further of this matter. They must try and find out whether " Nemo" can prove his charge of a combination amongst the butchers, and al<o ascertain whether there may not be, since Mr Cheap Butcher was bought out, a fresh combina- ; tion between the lordly man of Queenstown and these gentlemen. The public are all-powerful, and there are very simple means to check un- J healthy combinations detrimental to the progress of a population like the Wakatip. We have drawbacks enough to contend with, besides ex- . travagant and exorbitant prices for necessary ! articles of sustenance, and the public should be I alive and ready to act with Yours, obediently, A Father of a Family. [Our correspondent's letter should have been inserted in our last issue. The price of meat has since advanced, and he was therefore rather pre- I mature in his congratulations.—Ed. W.JJ.]

At the British Lion Concert Hall, Mr Marriott took a benefit on Saturday night. The entertainment consisted in the first part of a concert, in which Miss Stanley received well mcrrited encores in her echo song of " I am coming Sister Mary," and that of * Selina Sly." Mrs Tracy was equaliy successful in lt Sweet Spirit hear my Prayer." The second part consisted.of dancing. Miss Stanley was also very successful in the Highland Fiing and a Hornpipe. Mr Clifton was clever, as. usual, in his comic songs and medley dancing. The after part was a piece de resistance in the shape of a negro farce, entitled, "Doyou want a Barber." Mr Morris brought the proceedings to a close by singing a couple of songs, which were rapturously received ; and stated that they might wonder at his appearance in that housj, but he only knew one object in coming forward, and that was to lend his aid in assisting a brother professional in his eudeavourj to obtain a benefit. The attendance, though good, was not so large as Mr Marriott deserved. A very rich quirtz reef is said to havo bee 11 discovered in the Arrow district. The prospector has refused to declare the locality and is desirous of obtaining a large area of ground. His inquiries have been directed toward; a lease, bat leases are hardly supposed to apply to almost unprespected or virgin ground. We are glad to state that Mr Patterson, the chief of the Road Department, is a! present on a visit to this district, accompanied by the district road engineer,'Mr frmpson. We hope that this distriet^will«be benefitted by Mr Patterson's lesearches and that we shall have no more occasion to complain of tne neg.ect to continually experienced till lately. The pric- of meat has again suddenly and xuvkteiiuiuU ii*eu iiimi JjJ and llLito. la and Is 3d per lb. We are unable to give any reu-on. , for this rapid advance of fifty per cent, in a couple of days time.