MASTER BUTCHERS CONFER

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27614, 22 March 1955, Page 14

MASTER BUTCHERS CONFER

STATEMENTS ON MEAT PRICES CRITICISED

REPLY “UNNECESSARY AND UNWARRANTED” . (New Zealand, Press Association) TIMARU, March 21. “The recent spate of press statements by representatives of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board and Federated Farmers, subsequent to the announcement by the Minister of Finance that a meat prices inquiry was to be held, are wide of the mark. They illustrate a lack of knowledge of the meat trade by the representatives that makes a reply unnecessary and unwarranted.” This was said by the president of the New Zealand Master Butchers* Federation, Mr O. Dyer, of Wellington, in his address to the annual conference, which opened in Timaru today. Sixty-five delegates to the conference from all parts of New Zealand, and a group of Australian visitors, were welcomed to Timaru by the Deputy-Mayor, Mr J. T. Hunt, Mr L. F. Hertnon, President of the South Canterbury Master Butchers’ Association, and Mr Clyde Carr, member of Parliament for Timaru. It was now two years since the Price Control Division made its last survey of prices, profits, and associated factors as the result of a “rash” press statement by the Prime Minister that the prices charged for meat were excessive, said Mr Dyer in his address. After the survey, the retail trade was cleared of any malpractices by Ministerial statements based on the findings of the division. “The main lesson we members of the trade can learn from these repeated inquiries is the prior place meat occupies in the minds of the consumers and in the cost of living index,’’ Mr Dyer said. “I have no doubts that thp great majority of retailers, recognising this, price as competitively as buying prices permit.” The directorate committee of the federation was giving full consideration to the protection of the retail trade and the matter of export companies entering the retail business, said Mr Dyer in his report to the conference. The Government is to be asked to clarify its attitude toward the retail trade, and the committee would, when an answer was given, take whatever measures were necessary to achieve protection of the retail industry from “semi-monopolistic influence.” Mr Dyer said there had been an increase in the activities of meat export companies in competition at both wholesale and retail levels since the 1954 conference at Nelson. Mr Dyer was re-elected president for a fourth term of office. Other officers elected were: Immediate past-president, Mr J. W. Perry (Auckland); vice-presidents, Messrs H. S. Wallis (Canterbury), A. J. Burr (Marlborough);' executive committee, Messrs E. C. Keenan (Auckland). E. R. Blanchard (Christchurch), R. Shakespeare (Hawke’s Bay), S. F. Lincoln (Manawatu), A. J. Burr (Marlborough), H. M. Richardson (Nelson), N. G. Appleton (North Auckland), E. A. Fort (Otago). F. Forshaw (Poverty Bay), A. J. McCready (South Auckland), A. T. Davie (South Canterbury), M. C. Wilson (Southland), G. W. Dinnan (Taranaki), W. Vaughan (Wairarapa), S. J. Timbs (Wanganui). G. Bannan (Wellington). C. F. Trowbridge (Westland).