DEARTH OF MEAT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8324, 4 January 1907, Page 5

DEARTH OF MEAT.

PECULIAR POSITION IN BRITAIN.

(Post Correspondent)

LONDON, November 23,

There is great shortage of all supplies, of meat in London, and prices have ruled phenomenally high of late—so high, indeec}, that those who held stocks of New Zealand lamb,: for instance, earlier. in the year, are regretting now that they yielded to the temptation to sell at low prices. But it is easy to be wise after the event. \ There can be no doubt, however, as to the reality of the meat famine. Retail butchers cannot get meat at a ■ price that will allow of their retailing it at anything like a price that people will look at, and many have been compelled to close their shops for the time being. Beef is said to have jumped up lOd per stone almost at one bound, and this in itself is a pretty good illustration of the state of the market. Talking the matter over this week with a New Zealand'' gentleman connected with Smithfield, he told me he thought we should see high prices right up to Christmas, and that such prices as meat had reached of late had not been known for years. I asked the reason. "The only cause I can assign for it," was the reply, "is the shortness of supplies. In New Zealand the season ended early owing to the wet; Australia has not been able to send forward supplies; all through the winter Argentina has not been able to send heavily; and so all round there has come a scarcity. It is quite the talk on Smithfield that the consumption of meat has gone down 33 1-3 per cent, simply owing to the high prices. And the strange thing about it is that everybody appears to have been taken by surprise." One outcome of the shortage is that the rabbit dealers tere having an exceptionally busy time. But that j does not much affect New Zealand. _

CABLE NEWS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright