SERIOUS FALLS IN PRICES

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 52, 2 March 1921, Page 6

SERIOUS FALLS IN PRICES

Prices for wool and meat ware eipected to decline on the termination of their purchaie by the Imperial Government, but no one forecasted to severe a fell as has taken place. A Press Association message from Danedin reflects the position in the meat markets of the world. Prices for all frozen meat are well down. Wool, too, is down to below pre-war prices, and most difficult to Bell at ail. No doubt raisers of meat and wool have h»d splendid returns for the past five years, and possibly some of them are well able to withstand a little financial pressure just now; but the small holders, especially those who went late into the wool and meat business, will be experiencing great anxiety at the present chute in prices. Many of these pastoral.ists are soldiers settled on small acreages. The greatest number of mainly pastoral holdings in New Zealand, according to latest returns, range from five to 2000 acres. They are most numerous between 10Q and, 750 acres, showing that the "small man" must be taken into account in appreciating the grtfat fall that has taken place in prices for all pastoral products. A point appears to hava been reached in Great Britain beyond whioh the purchasing power of the people cannot go, and there is our best •ad most stable mwktt, That is tht

situation to be faced. It is full of difficulty for th,e Government, no less than, for the producer, for the effects of the cutting down of the value of the country's greatest exports by half must be widespread and generally felt. The circumstances call for more than speeches ur economic flights of fancy. They have to bo met and dealt with. The problem of the day for New Zealand is clearly how to meet the great fall that has t^ken place in the markets fpr wool and meat.