THE MUTTON SLUMP

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 146, 17 July 1909, Page 2

THE MUTTON SLUMP

NEW SOUTH WALES EXPORTS. By Cable—Press Association,—Copyright Deceived July 17, 1.5 a,m. During the year ended June 13, New South Wales exported 765,140 carcases of mutton and 440,700 lambs. SO BENEFIT TO NEW ZEALAND CONSUMERS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. The glut in the London meat market is not likely to lead to the New Zealand householders obtaining cheaper dinners. At first sight it would appear that the execs of supply over demand ot Home would result in a decrease of exports from New Zealand, and consequently greater supply to the local markets. Thut would mean cheaper carcases to the butchers, and should he less expensive to consumers. Anyway, that is the point of view most butchers' customers will naturally take. When the question comes to be looked into, however, the apparently obvious eonelusion has to be modified for one reason or another. As to the probable local effect of the present sliump, Mr. Stringer, secretary of the Auckland farmers' Freezing Cqnvpany, stated today that it had conic fortunately at a time when Uierc was no stock tot export. This was' the time of the year when stock and meat were always dearest. It would be January before th'.i export season set in again, and by that time it was to be hoped the glutwould be over at Home, and the demand normal once more. As it was now a be-tween-season period, butchers would not, be likely to benefit to any extent, as I fat stock was not offering in the proportion, it was in the flush of the season. Should the slump last until the beginning of next export season, farmers would, he thought, have no option but to ibring down their prices. Auckland, he pointed out, exported very little mutton. It was nearly all lambs Now lamb was not a household commodity to any extent, though no doubt if it were cheaper it would be more largely bought by families. Discussing the relative prico of meat to the consumer here and to the Home consumer Mr. Stringer remarked that it had to be remembered that the Home quotation for mutton, at, say,' 3d p er jj, represented the wholesale price for a line of carcases. The English buyer ' did not purchase merely a leg of mutton at that price, ibut 100 sheep or ' more. In the case of a local butcher he '' bought at catch prices, guessing 'the ! weight of the sheep or lamb. Even ! though he got 6d per lb for a lee of mutton, that was not to say that he ' averaged that price for the whole sheen { as he bought it. The point was often raised, but the householder at Home did not necessarily get hi 6 New Zealand mutton cheaper than the New Zealandcr. He might pay as much as 8d per ■b for it However, it would ho difficult to get at the price of meat to the ioeal butcher m his shop. It was not only the butcher, hut the farm*? who kept prices up. tiJWfS "V^V" represents fives of the butchery trade went to show that, glut o r no glut, the rokU price*u,rc not at all likely to beret! ed. The slump has come alon K since the exporter, .out out their last shin men s, ami many of them are now belling their ill-luck. The pre en! effeet, however, is mostly f e t by the large|. sheep and stock-ownrs, wluf deal the markets in preference to dolins out their stock to the local trade Fo? this reason the butchers' say it is not at all likely that they willV able to buy cheaper and sell at reduced .prices tempt the large "growers" to split up their flocks and deal them out piecemeal, even were the slump to last until next export season. So f« r as ]„„ Z i nro concerned, it was not thought proI bable there would bo any reduction in prices The. growers would simply ] l()Jd their Jambs Iwk, and tell ftt V later u mutton,', , ;,