THE PRICE OF MEAT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 219, 9 June 1908, Page 7

THE PRICE OF MEAT.

" CONFERENCE OF RETAILERS. NO DECISION ARRIVED AT. , A'meoting of the Retail/Butchers' Association was held last evening in Godbcr's Rooms ■in connection with .tho recent notification from tlio wholesale butchers as to' a rise in tho price of meat. Tho meoting was called by the President, Mr. E. D. Barber... Tho proceedings wore not . opon !to tho Pross. . ■ Mr.', Barber, in'conversation with s a Dominion representative last evening, - said that there wcro two Iqrge firms—tho Wellington Meat. Export Company and tho Banks Meat Company selling " carcase" meat t-o retail butchers in Wellington. There wcro also various butchers who possessed their own slaughter-houses, and who bought live stock for their own sliops. -Tho butchers who bought the "carcase" meat * were tho ones who would be afFect«d.by the rise in prices!' About 75 per cent, of the Wellington butchors : bought,' " carcase" meat. Tho buyers of " live", meat might think the rise ; justified by. the, price of stock, as they had ' the-pulse of the. stock, market better than tho •others. ,The meeting had,.boen called to arrive at, a..definite .and general course of action. .• i ;■>. . '; \The meeting "discussed! the pros and cons iof the .situation; but . could. arrive at no .definito • conclusion: . ,

VIEWS OF WHOLESALE FIRMS. ' •" THE INCREASES DEFENDED. . ' Mr. J. Sykes,■-■managing director of the Banks .Co-operative Meat Distributing Company, Ltd., was interviewed yesterday by a Dominion reporter. He, contended that the v rise •in tho' price of meat - was "quite justifi-able;-.He also iwished to. correct some of tho :■ statements:made by-'the retail butchers, In: the first, place, he denied all knowledge of ! tho 'alleged giving-, of, notice to the retailers <: ■ ;v two. days before(tho increases were', made. ■ -His company had given the notification '■ iii ■the i • usual way on Saturday. 1 lie also denied tho ■-''. statement ,attributed to -oho - retail butcher v >,thati the .'wholesale .companies ■ had_ been: hav-. ••ing a " royal time" through.taking advantago of' tho season,and- its. effect on prices. , ■ Tlioy had, only stock, ai. week;.' or;at. most a ahead of 'requirements, and had not bought at tho low prices' oe'ea- ' , 1 sioned by the dry, summer, anil then fattened the stock since tho.rain came. - ; LAST YEAR'S PRICES COMPARED. v~ Throughout the summer,' Mr.' Sykes: wont', on; to say,' stock hndY been at 'better..'prices, is W'. than; last year,in comparison w'ith the prices of- skins/and hides. ." Last Juno." 'said' Mr. Sykes, '.'.we were selling sheepskins at '6s. 3d., but now wo ■ - cannot get 3st for them.' 1 Tallow was worth i 33a. last year, and is now worth only 265., and yet' the farmer has been ; receiving-for his •. fat : sneep; right ; through the; season- within Is;, . Gd.-a'head of 'the prico -ho got last-year.' • Last year- fat w ; as 2sd.- at, either the.Meat - Export Codpany's or'the Gear Company's ■ • ■ i works; whereas this year tho- highest prico has been 2d., and it is now ljjd; : , ' ■ -" In regard to-beef, the position, is simi- . lar. Hides, which wore averaging:6Jd. per i • ]b.~last year, have only reached: Did. to 6|d. this soason. Tallow also-has: been down, | like mutton'tallow." ' :, ■; ■ ' FORTUNATE RETAILERS. •; I A;.retail Tiiitcher'had'stated in Dominion that a, fortnight ago the companies wero 1 ' paving 21s. per 1001b. for, beef, i ion.the'hoof." Mr. Sykes said that this allev." ' gation wa3; altogether incorrect. ..During tho I ■ ' last sis. weoks,' the. prico • had often boen I 1 225. to 225. 6d., 'and 'at- Johnsonville last, -•/ week beof on~tlie~hoof had fetched 235. to ' '275. per 1001b! ; Ho considered that, owing to ..;/,,/ / 'tho i l compotition.;bpji.'iveon ; the, : wholesale .com-., - panics;. the Wellington .retail butchers- had .been .very. ifoHunfte: ..His company's fcre- ■ man, when at Christchurch a fortnight ago,' ■was told by a leading wholesale firm in that : cityi'that they.:were selling beef to the, but ch'ers at ,255.-per 1001b., , rib ..offal, and wether mutton at 3pd. per lb., .without - i - offal. - Tho i corresponding prices in Wellington at-that timo woro £1 and 3,id. •. i 1 "We .would rather ceaso. supplying ,tho Tetail trade of. Wellington than continue at - tho .-prices. of.' tho last four weeks. Any. of the butchers can buy ..their own stock, and ' we will kill and deliver it for them on the ■ Bame terms ns wo are already doing for two' of. the largest',retailers;" .v.'', -'■ i -" PURELY A QUESTION OF COST." Mr.'W. G. Foster,'(managing director, of. tho:Wellington Meat Export Company, Ltd., when' seen by the reporter, was not prepared to go fully into tho subject, but ho remarked that it was ' purely a . question of ' cost.' 'If tlio company could not buy so as to supply tho-butchors at',tho prices lately ' ruling,-they would rather not do the. busi- ' C-''. 'ncss at those : prices.:-: Tho . Moat .Export V, Company was not a : philanthropic jconcern, ' and must carry on at a profit, or not at - ill. . . ,

• THE POSITION IN DUNEDIN. ■' : [BY : - TBLEGItArH — SFEOIAIi CORRESPONDENT.] Dunedin, June B.' ' In reference to. the telegram from AVelling-ion-as to, the. l'iso in meat, a - local reporter .' :'/inade lihquiry from one ' 'of .tho leading ' butchery firms as to whether there was-likely •'■to bo any increase'ih s the price of meat: in ' Dunedin. The answer, was- that there is almost certain to bo a rise presently. 'Owing to the'drought and other causes, there is a shortage : in-, the' meat - supply in the' North Island;'and dealers there are beginning to , draw;; extensively from. Otago... There. is a Bufficient supply in tho meantime for local consumption, but towards tho ■ end of the winter , there is likely to bo a scarcity of stock caused by the demand in tho north, and tho : ' retail trade in- Dunedin will consequently be affected."