RENT AND MEAT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 4 September 1917, Page 5

RENT AND MEAT.

To the Editor. you allow me the space to th« following, dealing with rents and the high price of meat in Taihape. It has been stated in several newspapers that the reason that house rents are so high is because all T>uilding material had increased in price so much since war was declared. In a few cases this is correct, that is to say, the few houses that have been built in Taihape since war began cost a great deal more to build than those put up in time of peace. The latter were erected when timber and other material was cheap, and a good many of them are,now very old. The extra tax placed on houses since war was declared docs not amount to a shilling a week, yet rents have risen as much as six shillings a week on some of these cheaply built houses. This means that the tenant is paying the shilling tax and the other five shillings, which is enough to pay the extra cost of living for the landlord. Some tenants have sons at the front, and some have dear ones who will never, return. While these gallant lads are fighting for these loyal landlords rents have risen over the heads of the aged fathers and mothers. With regard to the meat problem: I noticed that in a leader in your paper you stated that the ikason meat was so dear was because 4ne Meat Trust was ruling the price of stock. That is not so; the Trust is perhaps, able to pay a higher price for the living beast, but the trust does not fix the price of meat over the block. The Butcher pays £2l for a bullock that weighs 800 lbs. This beast will' cost not more than £3'Ao handle. Allow another £3 for profit. making £27 in all. The butcher puts this beast over the block at lOd per lb, making £33 6s Bd. He will get £4 for the hide and £2 for the tripe and fat, making a grand total of £39 6s Bd, leaving the butcher an excess of £l2 6s 8d over the profit already allowed. The meat could have been sold at sevenpence and still leave a profit of £3. The few shillings a week in' rise of rent and the few shillings paid in rise of meat would have been a Godsend, and would have enabled poor tenants to have had a little in the War Loan, not for the interest, but for the "honour of having placed their "Widow's Mite" in it. The loyal landlords will, however, have an extra £lO or £l2 to knd, and the butcher an extra £lO out of nearly every tenant, for that is about what it works out~ at. In conclusion, Mr Editor, pure blood' ■was shed to save sinners of old, the f.e Christ-pure blood is being shed ay through the wounds of our poor ; an& daughters, but Oh! How much larger is the stream needed to .save the sjnners of. our time? ' ft i Yours Etc., }. . J. T.DAVEY,