Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1911. DEAR MEAT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10205, 5 April 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1911. DEAR MEAT.

The contemplation of a substantial, rise in the price of beef will not afford a great deal of satisfaction to the housewife, more particularly when mutton also shows an indication of hardening. Already in Wellington the butchers have raised their prices for prime cuts of beef. As the Dunedin Star points out, these moves are not a matter of caprice with butchers. They are a matter of necessity with them. The coming months of the year are not likely to be profitable for butchers in a small way or just starting business. When fat stock is very dear butchers generally pass only a proportion of the ri„e on to their customers, being content to hang on and recoup themselves when stock is cheaper again. In other words, the retail price of meat does not fluctuate to such an extent as the, price of fat stock. Butchers state that never for the last twenty years have they seen beef so dear at this time of the year. The dry season is not altogether the cause of this. The fact is that the Dominion is.much .understocked with beef cattle. The practice of killing off calves instead cf rearing them for beef is one of tlw. prime causes of the scarcity, and this, in turn, arises from our land policy. Closer settlement has undoubtedly been one of the factors for New. Zealand's prosperity and growth. But closer settlement means the cutting up of big estates, and on land where one man used to make (or lose) big money Out of raising and fattening- cattle, dozens and scores of families are making good money out of - dairying. The town 'consumer has to pay the penalty of closer settlement in this connection. He derives an advantage, however, from the increased demand for town supplies,' and thus is the equilibrium maintained. If dear meat were the only sacrifice to be made for close settlement, townspeople who know the value of settlement would willingly make it.