MEAT PRICES

Grey River Argus, 25 March 1940, Page 9

MEAT PRICES

FIXATION FOR WINTER. AUCKLAND. March 23. The Government Dian to fix winter retail meat prices is the onlv feasible way to deal with the problem of rising prices, is the view exnresspd by Mr G. F. Lane, general manager of the Auckland Meat Company, Ltd. The problem, he said, was that during the few months of extreme shortage the prices for fat stock, beef and mutton, advanced from 20 to 50 per cent, above the normal- rates ruling in the summer, and the Government was determined that retail’ prices should be kept as nearly as possible to the values ruling at the outbreak of war. “Master cannot reasonably expect the Government to allow retail prices to advance to such exorbitantly high levels as would have been required, for example, to cover the cost of cattle and sheep during September and October of last year,’’ he continued. “Indeed, it. would be fatal to the trade to advance prices so far as to be beyond the general customer’s capacity to oav.” Provided that, the Government fixed a maximum schedule of prices and gave master butchers the right to purchase meat from the stocks bought bv the Government and held in freezing works for the Imperial Government during the neriod of exceptional shortage. Hp considered that the scheme would be unite workable. “I entirely disagree with the suggestion from the South that the Government’s scheme could operate only by the elimination of the auction sales of fat stock, and bv fixing the wholesale prices at which cattle or sheep shall be sold to the butcher, abattoirs and freezing works." Mr Lane addid. “I am absolutelv certain that any attempt to limit the price the farmer is to receive in the winter mouths will only cause a bigger shortage. He will not take all the risk of bad weather and face all the extra expense involved in the fattening of stock for winter offering unless he ir assured of free and open competition for his stock.”