THE PRICE OF MEAT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4261, 22 January 1901, Page 2

THE PRICE OF MEAT.

REASONS FOR THE ADVANCE

The retail prices for beef and mid ton were increased yesterday by the i<dau butchers of Wellington in consequence of tie advance which has taken place hi the wholesale prices of cattle and

sheep. . A leading firm of uutchers one day but; week bad the carcases of a bullock and a sheep cut up and marked off for retail sale. When a computation was made, on the one hand, or what the buc-ts had cost, and. on the- other, of the return which they would give it their carcases were sold at the retail rates tneu ruling, it was found that there would he a clear loss on. 'the transaction. This demonstration simply corroborated the testimony borne by the butchers boo.es. for some time past—namely, that the ruling rates wore unremunefative —and by common agreement an advance of retail prices was decided upon. The advance .now made is one of a half-penny per pound on prime joints of beef and mutton. An advance, was made some months back, so that the new rates are a penny higher than those of a your ago. On the hoof beef is 30 per cent, dearer and mutton 50 per cent, dearer man it was, and butchers have not in the period had an equivalent advance when retailing tlie meat. They refrained, tney say, as long as they could from advancing prices to consumers, but they have at last been compelled to do so in order to avoid actual loss. On • making inquiries yesterday a: “Times’” reporter was informed tlun tin* present high price of stock in the. felony is largely due to the tact that t his r. the first time for many year* that frozen meat has been high in price in London at this season. Frozen meat at the beginning of file year is not, as a !l; .e, so relatively high in price there as d m just now. Fewer sheep by nearly 600.000 were exported from New Zealand to London last, winter than in the previous season. When heavy slupmenis now going forwa-rd from 'this colony icacli England a foil in prices is looked for. The course of tbe frozen meat nnuket is an ever-present problem. There are subsidiary problems which New Zealand has to face and which call tor mention when the price of meat to consumers in the colony is being considered. As to beef for instance, land on the West Coast of ibis island wlueb in f ornier yoars *\v3s for t<hc fnAtcuing of cattle is now devoted to dairying, with a result which is obvious. Then the sheep returns show a- diminution, in Canterbury the decrease is very marked. During recent inontlhfl, Christchurch Inis been full of visitors, and loco! dico]} offering have boon muhly absorbed oy butchers to satisfy the extra demand. It is no now thing for Southern buyers to come to Wellington province' for sheep This season, however, they are rcporU'il to bo very active. They arc said (o ho epociully anxious to secure store ewes. But it is easier to ask for store ewes than to get them. Farmers who are inclined to hold are favoured by ,i.io excollcnt condition of the pasturse in some portions of the provinces of n ellmgton and Hawke’s Ray. A good deal is said in condemnation of the heavy expohfc of lambs, but it baa to be remembered that a large proper, tion of tbe lambs sent away arc bredi for ithab purpose. They arc crosses which could not be bred from with certainty, as it could net too predicted how they would l -throw. The fact remains, however, that good breeding ewes lire very scarce. A state of affairs of which warning was given a few years ago has come to pass in an accentuated degree. In comparison with other countries. New Zealand is not a. large exporter of preserved meat, but, nevertheless, our output is comparatively extensive. The war has had the effect of increasing the price of preserved meat, and this is one of the factors which have led to Wellington 'householders having to pay more for their, beef and mutton than they have had .to pay for very many years past. Butchers can give no idea as 1o when prices may bo expected to go back to a more- reasonable figure. 1