THE PRICE OF MEAT.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 184, 5 August 1919, Page 9

THE PRICE OF MEAT.

(To tbe Editor.) Sir, —The butchers arc apparently gdinjj to make the present temporary scarcity of fat stock an occasion to ask for a review of their agreement regulating retail prices of meaf'by the Board of Trade. It will be an iniquitous thing it this is allowed to happen, in the face of all the freezing works in the country being glutted with prime frozen meat, available to the 'butchers for distribution at Imperial Government prices, plus slight storage charges. The statement that the public refuses to eat frozen meat at any price is untenable—99 per cent of us couldn't tell it from fresh meat when it was served up, unless it wag through its superior quality to the present day meat, on account of it being in proper fat condition when killed. Xaturally, some time ago, -when v little of it was offered to the public alongside of the fresh meat at the same price, people chose the fresh. Let the butchers offer the public this meat at 25 per cent less than the fresh, and see if they would refuse to eat it then. The meat at present in the freezing works was bought from the farmers at about 40/ per 1001b. for beef, and about an average of sd. per lb. for mutton. I say let the public have a chance of tins meat at these prices, plus fair charges for profits and distributing, and there need 'be no further talk of any advance in prices.—l am, etc., LIVE AXD LET LIVE.