COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17273, 11 October 1921, Page 7

COMMERCIAL.

FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER

GOVERNMENT MUTTON STOCKS CLEARED.

fnOM OTTR SPECIAL COBRESrOJTOEJST.) LONDON, August 20.

Those who have had in hand the task of clearing off the stocks of tho Imperial Government's froaen meat purchases are probably congratulating themselves on a happy issue out of this affliction, for affliction it surely was. Treasury orders were against the lowering of prices, and so the stuff hung about a good deal. Last week, however, it was announced that total clearance had been the remainder on hand having been sold to the Continent of Europe. This ends the labours of the third and last Director of Meat Supplies, Sir Philip Proctor, who has carried on tinder Board of Trade auspices since the disbanding of the Ministry of Food. Sir Philip, as secretary for many years of the Colonial Consignment and Distributing Co., Ltd., is not unknown to New Zealanders, and I should not be suprrieed if at an early date he paid a business visit to the Dominion. The Retailers' Demonstration. Meat retailers in this country are still protesting very loudly against the allegations of their profiteering, and their failure to pass on to the public the full advantage of cheap meat, and so extend the output. Last week the Union of London Meat Retailors rather effectively stage-managed a demonstration of meat cutting and meat pricina in the Central Meat Market as a kind of ocular evidence of the fairness of current retailer's prices. A ode of English-fed beef weighing 4111b was officially cut up. There was a loss of 31b on cutting up. due chiefly to the escape of blood and bone dust. The separated portions of the side were taken to a scale and weighed independently. One demonstrator quoted the wholesale market price of the day, and another Bhowed how much each portion would make retail at an average butcher's shop, with due. regard to the varying values of different parts of the same section. The cost of the whole side to the purchasing butcher was Is 2d per lb. Upon the scale was first put the thin flank, weighing 341b, which was valued in bulk at 7d per lb on the basis of the market price of the day. It was said that 41b of this would havo to be retailed at 6Jd per lb, or less, while tho rest might fetch IOJd per lb, though much depended on the local conditions. It was remarked that before the war there was a great demand on the parts of poorer people for his class Of joint. but that it bad Bince weakened oonsidI erably. The fore-rib, weighing SMb. was next scaled, and priced at la 104 per lb. About, half of it was bone, worth only id per lb. to the batcher, while the actual meat was estimated to yield 2s to 2s 6d per lb., according to out. The shin was first weighed whole, and then as boned, when it was found that there was almost as much bone as meat. The wholesale price of tho complete shm was 6d per lb. It was explained that, while tho value of the bone was only nominal, the retail prase of the mnat itself would vary from 4W to la 2d per lb. The other cuts of the side were similarly weighed, priced, and analysed. • _•' •, Not many of .my New Zealand readers will imagine that the English butcher any more than other traders wears his heart on his sleeve, and 7 there is ample enough evidence that the butchers of Great Britain have been having a very good time for the past two years or more. In spite of the Government reijulatiori ordering retail meat traders to tisplay a. notice when they are eeUing imported meat to their cuatamera there is no doubt that in a great proportion of cases this provision is not jgeoerajuy observed. Further, much imported meat is being sold to the publio.as home-fed, and this practice operates uyunously to the interests of the producer of the home product as well aa-to the consumer. It is.well understoodJa the meat trade that there is no legal ,*oSn io the sale * JWrt*BWr>*"* as home-fed. It is, indeed, to *■*«; erably lowered value lines of meat, includinga proportion of imported meat, which has enabled retail butchers to lower prwea to the consumers to a greater extent thani .to warranted bv tne fall in the cost of strictly fiwtovA »took, ao that to any general wholly prime quality meaVaa "* •• *■" advantage coropared'wfth those doing a composite business. The latter is, of "SSeT the far u »ore numerou. clasaof meat retailor throughout the Kingdom.