THE PRICE OF MEAT

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12571, 5 August 1901, Page 3

THE PRICE OF MEAT

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Whether or no your readers .agree with the butchers as to the need of raising the price of meat, it is certain that in. many cases they can't afford to pay the prices charged. Therefore it must follow that the eonstim.ptir.Mi will be less. ■ Your article upon the rise'in "meat gives various opinions for the reason of the scarcity, a-nd deals? chief! v with beef. I till ink, as' you say, that the real-causa of the shortage of butchers' cattle is due to the, establishment of dairy factories. Not because of the difference in * breeding milking, strains in preference to. beef-makers, but because practically no calves are reared at all by farmers who are near creameries and can sell milk at a paying - price. The milk returned from the creamery may- b° suitable for calves—l--would think, it was not very —but the. time, of 'its return from the. creamery would be a very unsuitable time to feed them. For pig*",there would be* no unsuitabilitr at all; therefore I think it likely that'most farmers find it more to their purpose to grow.pigs and sheep for *ale than cattle. Is' there' no room here, for the State as a- grower, especially if New Zealand is to find Mrther outlets and new-markets for her produce? What of the unused land which at present- is brin<nn<r in no return? Is not much of it suitable' for cattle raising? What of 'her returned and returning- trooper?, many of them, more or less invalids, who will need, employment? Could therer be better herdsmen or servants for the State than they would make? The work 'would keep them in splendid training for future need in defence matters.—l am, etc., S.G. , TO THE EDITOR. ... gj r( __The flimsy excuses given, by the retail butchers are not ths real.causes-of the enormous' rise, in the price of meat but tli» movement'is rather due to political than financial causes: Labour legislation will more than likely compel the payment of more henest wages, therefore the.public must be, squeezed in prices from- 15 to 20 per cent, and if the- abattoirs arc to assure us good' wholesome meat, then a further ri's* if threatened (which leads .us to winder'what sort of stuff we have been.fating up to now). When a. similar and arbitrary was made in Dunadin the result was that a num'bsr of retailers,had to shut up shon —T am, etc., ; l . A CHUTTON MOP. TO THE KDITOK. g r i, Don't you think it's high time, for the State to open a-meat market, where'we poor people can go and buy cur meat cheap? What with the 'high pr:ce of coal and now a rise in meat, we, shall have to leave off eating meat if something isn't' done for us. It will .soon be as. bad here a-?' in the Old Country ; in . fact, worse, what with the high rent as-well.—l am, etc., NO. MEAT.