CHEAPER MEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26777, 21 May 1948, Page 6

CHEAPER MEAT

BUTCHERS’ CONTENTION REMOVAL OF CONTROL EVIDENCE AT COMMISSION PA. AUCKLAND, May 20. When the retail prices of meat are again permitted to find their own level through the normal process of competition, the public will have cheaper meat and an infinitely better service. This statement was made by Mr F. A. Hellaby, managing director of R. and W. Hellaby, Ltd., when giving evidence before the Commission of inquiry investigating fresh meat supplies throughout the Dominion. . Mr Hellaby said the removal of control would seem impracticable under the present system of rationing, but he urged that when rationing became unnecessary the controlled and regulated retail price list should be abandoned. He submitted that it would be desirable to readjust retail prices over the whole year to bring them more into relation with the average rise in the winter buying price but not necessarily to increase the butcher's overall annual profit. This would have the advantage of removing financial embarrassment in the winter months from butchers setting up in business or those of slender resources, and of checking the demand for meat _in periods of scarcity and high buying prices. ~ . , “We do not consider it practicable for butchers to buy exclusively at a schedule similar to that adopted for export,” Mr Hellaby stated. “We believe it is essential that butchers should be free to pay such prices for livestock as will maintain a steady and constant supply of fresh rpeat of suitable quality at all times of the year. If the butchers were restricted they would be powerless to attract supplies and an artificial scarcity would at once arise.” The manager of Wilson Meats, Ltd., Mr B. L. Orr, agreed that adequate supplies of fresh meal had been, and would be, available, provided there was no restriction or artificial control in operation. He said that it was now practicable for butchers to buy on a schedule basis, and many of them did so. It Wcjs just as imperative; however, tha, they should not be deprived of their right to buy at auction sales, although group buying needed no encouragement.' If this were carried to excess the auction would become a farce and the farmers would be deprived of a convenient and economic means of disposing of their, fat stock in,.winter. ‘‘We see no solution: to,, the .-butchers’ problem within a complete price control system,” Mr Orr stated. “We feel very definitely that any attempt to control prices and supplies of fat stock artificially, will make a bad position worse so far as supplies are concerned. Such action would probably temporarily" eliminate the. existing very unfair position of the butcher, but it would undoubtedly result in chaos and an increased necessity to use frozen meat. This in itself would be wasteful and expensive.” - The only way in which butchers could obtain justice was to dispense with the retail price control on fresh meat, Mr Orr continued. The price to the consumer would be lower over a period of several years than if further controls were instituted. A very great improvement in the whole position would also result from completely dispensing with meat grading. A farmers’ organisation had issued a warning of the effects of grading being instituted in a time of shortages and their forecasts had come true. The commission was adjourned.