THE PRICE OF MEAT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12429, 19 February 1901, Page 6

THE PRICE OF MEAT.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir, —Is it that private profit, for the benefit of trade expansion l , to serve English markets, must take precedence of every other consideration? Much has been written and said' on the question of the cost of coal to the consumer. Surely a comparison of the price of our meat in the London and New Zealand markets calls for grave consideration. A leader which lately appeared in your paper states, when dealing with the coal supply ; that “It should not be in the power of any private company todeprive the poorer section of the community of any absolutely necessary article by raising the price, when the cost of production is not increased.” Is the well-being of the people being considered' when meat is raised to almost famine prices? The people were considered by some reductions on the necessaries of,life to enable a cheaper living. Are we living cheaper, when prices on, absolute necessaries are raised, upon us to serve the demand of an outside market? What benefit is'it to the; majority of consumers'if they axe directly made the milch cow to serve a minority of ' capitabsts? .Have the State no duty to

perform in the face of these _ attempts to make living harder? A States duty is to see that one part of the people do not cause the other part to lead miserable lives. Will not the State form some plan whereby famine prices shall be am impossibility on those necessaries- that we produce in such an abundance as to leave a sufficiency and' : • Vow Zeaiand federate internally, and solve the "rent problem of famine prices, problems which are sapping our power of self-help.—l am, etc., W. H. DACOMBE.