Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1895. THE PRICE OF MEAT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4944, 18 February 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1895. THE PRICE OF MEAT.

__—« Wk wrote a few words a week ago, ■in the interests of consumers, respecting the prices charged for meat in Masterton. We have published subsequently, some correspondence on the subject, which has afforded the public useful information, and to-day, we are indebted to a Wellington resident, for a letter appearing in another column of this issue, which is of special value, as it gives us the cash ami booking prices of a leading butchering fum iin the Umpire city, We wish we | were in a position to publish a corresponding scale of Masterton charges, for the purpose of comparison, but our local butchers seem a little reticent in quoting their rates. As far as wo can learn, the ! Jbooking prices of beef are not, in ■this town, unreasonable for meat of I a fat-class quality, but the rates for mutton are evidently a little too liigk The cash prices are said to Ire a penny less peril)., than the booking rates, but on this point, we have no very definite or authoritative information. It would be a good thing if the butchers of Masterton took tbo public into their confidence and gave them a schedule of prices similar to the otic wo publish from Wellington. It is supposed, possibly without reason, that one price is charged to one man, and another price to a second, and so some feeling of grievance has sprung up amongst consumers. Of course, too, in purchasing meat the question of quality ■ must always be borne in mind. We believe, that as a rule good beef is killed in Masterton, although there are undoubtedly exceptions which, pos t 'ibly,go to prove tho rule. As regards .mutton, most of tho best sheep are exported, and usually consumers have to be contont with a second grade. Tho picked sheep of the neighbourhood go down to tho freezing works and to tasti? 'be very fineatWairarapa mutton it.' B necessary to tako a voyage to England ,n i big liner. Onr own endeavour has ,b ec " to elicit useful information on eitbei sido of tho question, and on the whole wo m disposed to consider that ouv butchers aro having afairly good time of it just now, and that they could afford to make some sligiit concessions to their customers. They can buy meat cheaper,ijhao tho Wellington butchers, and ithey can afford to give the public a scale,of ; .charges quite as liberal as the oue 1 which appears moitf open column May.

, There is a man named Mercier who is always thrusting himself before " the public in an tin warrantable man- ?' ner. The last wo hear of him is in " the N.Z. Times, ho having informed that journal of attoinpts which have J been made in the Wairarapa district J to reduce the prico of shearing, and " which were defeated owing to the . organisation represented by him. As far as we know this is rank nonsense. There has been no trouble or grievance amongst shearers in • this district other than a visit from . Mr Mercier to collect money from , them. Mr Mercier appears to have forced himself on to the shearers of ] this district, and to have succeeded j in extracting some money out of their pockets, but he has not in any | shape or form done them one atom i of good. Probably he has done them i harm, for his false boast that he lias prevented n reduction in the price i of shearing may lead flockowners to i consider the expediency of modifying existing rates. It is men of ! ; this stamp who sow mischief between masters and men. We ' should say that if this district gets a third dose of Mr Mercier—it has had two already-shearingrates are bound to fall. Mr Mercier docs not in any way represent this district, and bus no authority to speak 'on its behalf. He has made more than one unsuccessful attempt to , organise public meetings here, and to get loading Liberals to preside at them, but leading Liberals draw the line at Mr Mercier, and recognise that he is trying to make use of them for his own purpose rather than for the benefit of the workers.