DEAR MEAT.

Otago Witness, Issue 851, 21 March 1868, Page 4

DEAR MEAT.

(To the Editor of the Otago Witness. ) - i* 'Sift— At the present time,' when the' retail price of., butcher meat is exorbitantly dear in comparison with the wholesale prices, the following lines, extracted from London Punch, are, except the chorus, not ii) appropriate. — I am, &c. , Consumer.

Dunedin, 6th March. I cannot eat but little meat, 'Tis such expensive food ; When butchers cry, " come, buy, buy, ■ buy," I think them vastly rude. They've raised the price of all that's niceBeef, mutton, pork, and veal ; Their meat's so tlear, I sadly fear I soon shall want a nual. North, south, east, west, the rinderpest Is rife, the butchers tell ; And that is why so dear we buy. I fancy 'tis a sell. It's my belief that mutton arid beef Much cheaper should be sold ; For there's scarce a rise, in the wholesale

price, As tne Press hath plainly told. I'd like to se9 a Company, To bring good meat to town ; Ho morr at shops we'd buy our chops — Then prices might go down. Thus, EOine fine day, the butchers may Look, like their aprons, blue ; And there may be, for you and me, Cheap meat as e'er we knew.

CHORUS — So scant my fare, my bones are bare ; 1 shiver with the cold ; Small strength within my shrunken skin, Now meat so dear is sold.