Butchers May Act Throughout N.Z.

Northern Advocate, 3 September 1947, Page 6

Butchers May Act Throughout N.Z.

Meat Prices . . .

A DOMINION-WIDE flare-up in the butchery industry imminent because of the cost of beef cattle.

This view, was stated today by a Whangarei butcher when commenting on the decision of Dunedin butchers to limit prices they were prepared to pay at the stock market. He contended that butchers throughout New Zealand were now sorry they had not followed the lead given by .Northland butchers two years ago when shops were closed as a protest against meat prices.

The whole position was completely out of balance and control, he said. He believed butchers in other parts of the Dominion would act and it was likely that Northland butchers would be involved. As an instance of the difficulties in Whangarei he said that he was paying £26/10/- a head for cattle, a price which did not allow for the butchers to sell with any margin of profit.. The Dunedin butchers’ action was referred for comment to the president of the North Auckland Master Butchers’ Association (Mr J. A. McLeod). He said no suggestion for action similar to that taken in Dunedin had been made in Northland. South Island butchers were paying excessive prices for beef and the possibility of trouble had been in evidence for a considerable time.

There was no relationship between the two interests when cattle were sold on the open market, nor was there any relationship between the export price and the price at which cattle were sold to the butcher. That was a big stumbling block.

Northland comprised a scattered rural area with the exception of the town centres and butchers were in a different position to those in the cities. Each area had different conditions.

INTERESTS DIVIDED . *The butchers claimed that one of the troubles was that farmers were not conversant with their production costs.

They wanted to be in a position to pay an equitable price to the producer and have a price which was also equitable to themselves.

He agreed that butchers throughout the Dominion regretted that they had not followed the lead given by Northland two years ago. If that lead had been followed the position would then have been fought out instead of being delayed until the present time. DUNEDIN MOVE A message from Dunedin stated that it was understood that Dunedin retail butchers would not compete against one another at the Burnside stock market today.

They have reached an ‘agreement on a limit for prices, beyond which they will not go. The limits were fixed at a special meeting of butchers, and it is believed that they are considerably lower than prices for sheep and cattle paid at Burnside recently. It remains to be seen whether all butchei's will abide by this decision, but if they do it is likely that they will have difficulty in obtaining their full requirements.

The president of the Dunedin Master Butchers’ Association (Mr J. E. Bartlett) has denied that butchers intend closing their shops. There is a distinct possibility that during the coming week butchers' shops in Dunedin will have little or nothing to offer the public. KEEN COMPETITION Keen competition at auction has in the past forced butchers to pay exceptionally high prices, while retail prices have remained fixed. It is contended that the auction prices paid have been almost double the wholesale rates upon which retail charges are based. Cne of many interesting aspects ol the situation is that the master butchers are preparing an application to the Price Tribunal for a new scale of retail prices, while the Meat Producers’ Eoard is preparing for an increased scale of prices to be paid for fat stock

It is certain that the public will have to pay more for meat in future, but before increased prices are sanctioned it is likely that the public will have to go short.