THE PRICE OF MEAT

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1798, 22 August 1906, Page 56

THE PRICE OF MEAT

PROFITS FROM STATE BUTCTIERim 0?o the Editor "N.Z. Mail.”) Sir, —As you no doubt in justice to the poorer working classes, would, with the majority of all vrho wish them well, like to see their daily meat supply obtained at a fair and moderate price, I venture to forward you these few notes for publication in your widely-circulated paper, showing how needful is the establishment of meat-shops by our Liberal Government, or an act to regulate the price of meat, which would put au end to the meat-ring monopoly, and enable all classes to obtain good healthy meat at a moderate price and yet leave room for a fair amount of piofit, to be made, and allow of a better standing price to be paid to the farmer for his cattle, which he does not at present appear to get. I am speaking of the North Island, as we could not fairly criticise the prices ruling at .Dunedin, or Addington. Cattle have been previously shipped from the North Island to the places named on account of the better prices obtainable there. The present price per pound for meat about Wellington and country districts is prohibitive to many. In some instances this is owing to the existence of meat rings that have a fixed rate of charge for the retailers to sell at, from which they (the retailers) may not digress, even on a Saturday evening. The consequence is that meat not then disposed of has to be kept until some time in the following week, whereas, if the retailer had a free hand, he could dispose of what was about to be left over of the Saturday evening meat at a cheaper rate to willing customers. In illustration of the exorbitant prices that are oharged for meat in many parts of the North Island, I have prepared a rough estimate of cost per head of beef cattle, weights, etc., after slaughter. A beast that weighs 6001 b when slaughtered can be purchased for £6. £ g. d. 1001 bof steak from this animal’s carcase, sold at, say, 7d per lb, amounts to 2 18 4 5001 b remaining, sold at 5d per lb amounts to 10 8 4 The hide, fat, heart, tongue and tail, fetch say 15 0 <£l4 1 8 Deduct price of beast 6 0 0 Leaves a balance of 8 18 Say fourteen head of thi9 kind are slaughtered, and sold as above in one week, the amount returned, after deducting purchase price, is .£ll3 3s 4d, from which falls to be deducted the following allowance, for wages, etc.: ’ ‘ JE s.d. Two men in butcher’s shop, per week each, £3 60 0 Two men for delivery carts, etc, £2 10s each per week ... 5 0 0 One slaughterman, £3 per week 3 0 0 One stock purchaser, M per week 4 0 0 Allowance driving fees, etc., 7s per head on fourteen cattle 418 0 Rent of shop and slaughter yard, per week, say ... ...600 Home feed, shoes, wear and tear, per week 3 0 0 Total cost <£3l 18 0 Peducting this amount from the above sum of <£ll3 3s 4d, we have a net profit of ... <£Bl 5 4 If State meat shops were started, the stock farmer ' could bo allowed twenty shillings per 1001 b for hia boef cattle, which is about the same per lb that we get in England for our frozen beef, when sold thero in bulk to the retailers. Beef could be sold here at 4-d all round per lb retail, without any loss, but rather with considerable profit at this price. However, as the first consideration is the price paid by the consumer, and the eec-

ond the remuneration to be paid to the stock farmer who raises the beef, let us leave the matter of his profit till the last. A calculation on the same lines as those previously made gives the following results: —Purchasing stock, payment for labour, etc., fourteen head of cattle, whose average weight is 6001 b each, at £6 per head, amounts to <£B4; retailed at fourpence' per lb, returns <£l4o; to this add 15s a head for each of the fourteen for hides, fat, etc., <£lo 10a, and we have a total of <£lso 10s; deducting costs, as in previous instance, <£3l 18s, together with purchase money for cattle, <£B4, we have left a clear profit for one week of <£34 12s, which shows clearly that beef retailed at 4d per lb in the North Island would mean “live and let live.” Permit me to say that cattle, in our local sale yards, are sold at the present time at very cheap rates. This has been so for some considerable time, but the price of meat per lb retailed has not beeu reduced. ‘ However, let us have State meat shops, a fixed rate of charges, and a standing remunerative price for the stock farmers’ cattle. At any cost, away with the meat lings, and thus allow many a struggling widow with a young family to purchase on a Saturday evening small joints, shins, or other parts, as food for Sunday, at a reasonable rate. The same applies to the poor labouring man and liis family. In conclusion, the ring-heads or butchers may say what they choose in defence of their prices, but I know well all about the subject upon which I am writing, and the more iight that is thrown ujion the foregoing facts the more will they shine. Further, the sooner we get proper and efficient inspection by competent meat inspectors of all meat intended for human consumption the better, 1 say, will it be for all who eat meat.—l am, etc* JOHN MEADS. Otaki, August 6th.