THE COSTLY CHOP.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 146, 21 June 1915, Page 7

THE COSTLY CHOP.

AUSTRALIA'S PROBLEM. NEW ZEALAND COULD HELP. MELBOURNE, June 20. The Commission which is investigating the price of meat reports that owing to the scarcity of stock present values are riot expected to cease for some months. It is stated that it is impracticable to fix prices. There is no evidence, it is stated, that the price has been artificially raised by the vendors. SYDNEY, June 20. A visiting New Zealand pastoralist agent suggests that a simple way of relieving the meat market would be to induce the Government to lift the import tax on sheep, and thus give New Zealand exporters an opportunity of competing. New Zealand, he states, has more sheep *,han are required to satisfy its needs.

PESSIMISM AT SYDNEY. BUTCHERS STOP CREDIT. FEARS OF FAMINE. (Received 11.40 a.m.)' SYDNEY, this day. At a meeting of the Master Butchers' Association, the discussion was of a pessimistic nature. The speakers declared that Sydney was faced with a Ecrious meat famine. It was decided that in future retailers would not allow credit. It was stated that in the past few weeks mutton had risen in price 100 and beef 50 to 70 per cent. Many butchers have been forceil to close.

Mr Flowers (Chief Secretary), when interviewed regarding 300,000 carcases of mutton and quantities of beef in cold storage, said the meat was held in trust for the Imperial authorities, and it was impossible to touch it.