DESTROY OR REDUCE PRICE

Evening Star, Issue 23862, 17 April 1941, Page 6

DESTROY OR REDUCE PRICE

MINISTER ON MEAT CRISIS [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, April 16. It would be criminal for anyone with a social outlook to allow meat to be destroyed while the legitimate demands of the people for the maintenance of physical health were not completely satisfied, said the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash), addressing the Federation of Labour Conference, reports the official Labour newspaper. Mr Nash said that the fixing of meat prices was rather difficult and it ban been discussed by the Government on several occasions, particularly in regard to bacon and mutton. He thought it would be correct to say that 90 per cent, of the people had all the meat they required, and it was a question whether they would buy any more, even if prices were lowered. If that wore done, they might get an increase of 5 per cent, in the consumption of m eat. Referring to the bacon position, Mr Nash said that, assuming the price was Is -Id a lb. it would be a bettor policy to increase the demand by reducing the price to Is a I'b. even though that meant making a loss, than to run the

v i s k of having to destroy a surplus quantity. Mr Nash added that there was a doi.iht from the health viewpoint whether the New Zealand people ought to cat more meat, hut he thought it would bo better to reduce the price if Hv that way they could save meat from being destroyed.