THE PRICE OF MEAT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 6052, 9 November 1906, Page 11

THE PRICE OF MEAT

(To tho Editor “N.Z. Times.”)

Sir.—l read in your issue of 2-lUi instant a letter on the weights and prices of meat, above the name of F. R. Bust, dated from Lower Hutt, 14th August, in which he ridicules my quotations as to weights and prices of meat. As ho declines to accept me as an authority on the subject, I will not now- take up more of your space than is necessary with my own ideas on the matter. However. Air F. T. Moore is a recognised authority on tho matter, and in his letter to the “New Zealand Times” of 22nd August last, re municipal markets, ho says that the establishment of municipal markets would enable meat dealers to offer good healthy supplies to that section of tho community willing to pay cash, aud accept delivery in the market, at from ,2d to 2id per lb throughout the year. A Third Standard school child will notice the difference between these figures and those given by Mr Bust, ranging from ,5d to 8d per lb for steak. I wonder what standard of scholarship Mr Bust places himself in, when his letter states my estimate is unworthy the notice of a third standard school kiddy. When at school I was taught that when desiring to got tho value of three contained in two, it was necessary to borrow- from elsewhere. As F. R. Bust is a butcher and evidently a conjurer with figures, he should know at least in meat matters hoiv threes go into twos, hut as ho professes not to, I will enlighten his darkness thus; — Those scraps of meat weighing three pounds. which would not sell even at twopence per lb, may ho ground into nausages and weigh, say, 21b, and sold for one shilling, thus showing three has gone into two, and returned double tho amount. If, as Mr Bust says, meat rings do not control the retailers’ prices, why is it necessary for retailers to meet periodically and arrange prices? I say again, to make it plainer, if possible, that a beast can be purchased for £6, and very often ’for much less, that would weigh 6001 b after dressing. Mr Bust seems to lose sight of tho fact that the bulk of the meat sold in tho colonies comes from cast-off dairy cows and culls, which tho meat _ exporters would not accept at any price, for if such meat as is often sold to $lO local consumers were placed on tho English market, .it would ruin the export trade. This class of meat, as Mr Bust must ho well aware, can be had at from 12s 6d to 15s per 1001 b, and is retailed at the price of first-class beef. _ It is difficult to follow Mr Bust in his writings. In one part ho quotes steak at from Ad to 5d per lb, and a little further on ho quotes rump steak at 8d per lb; and as to suet given away, well, it may be my misfortune, but I have always had to pay for mine, aud though I live in the country, where beef is grown and slaughtered, I have to pay 7d per lb for steak.

As pointed out by your correspondent, the great majority of butchers slaughter less than four beasts per week, and some less than two, yet the expense of running business on this small scale must leave a substantial profit; therefore State meat shops, if carried on oh a larger scale, would diminish the costs, and enable consumers of meat to obtain their supplies at somewhere about half the present cost. In conclusion, I thank Mr Bust for his invitation to immortalise my name, but, unfortunately, though ho offers to work for mo at the wage mentioned in my previous waves do not reach tho different amounts fixed by award, which - prevents me accepting his offer. —I am, etd.. ’ J. MEADS. Otaki, September 27th.