THE PRICE OF MEAT.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12490, 17 March 1909, Page 3

THE PRICE OF MEAT.

BUTCHERS?: PROFITS,

(Special to "The Colonist.)

: Christchurch, March 16. Many householders are up in arms regardmg the way the butchers are keeping up the retail prices of meat, despite the fact that the prices reall lsed at : the Addington sales for sheep and cattle have of late fallen most materially. From enquiries made by a -;^ews ? reporter it would appear that the state of the meat market at the present time is such that the local butchers have to a certain extent their own way as regards prices. Buying for freezing and export is for the most part slack, and with the partial elimination of that competition, the butchers entered into" a sort of understanding not to bid against each other at the sales, but to^buy what they required up to a maximum price, previously agreed Upon, and then to distribute among themselves what was purchased according to requirements. The farmer and grazier suffer the decrease, in sale prices; and the householdei* piys the same for his meat ; the fortunate, man is the retail butcher. The average price during the past few weeks for ewe' mutton, purchased principally by butchers is Us 6d for a 601 b carcase, the skin would realise 3s 6d, which would leave a balance of 8s for the meat, practically IJd per lb. Yet the prices for mutton are as follows:: — Chops 6d, forequarter 3d, leg sd, shouldered and loin sd. This leaves; not only a handsome profit,, but what is considered in many quarters to be an unreasonable profit. Beef, agam, ib being bought at an average of 21s i per 1001 b, or about 2Jd per lb, but the retail selling prices are :— Bump steak Bd, beef steak 6d, sirloin 7d, ribs 6d. gravy beef 4d. Another big difference on behalf of the retailer, and it is claimed that under the circumstances the prices are not unreasonable. It is said, for instance, that the butcher cannot sell all he buys, and that during the present hot season a great deal of waste occurs. One butcher said, in fact, that about 20 per cent would be about a fair thing to allow off the weight of a carcase for this waste. That, however, on a 601 b carcase.which now costs the butcher an average of Bs, -after allowing fo^ef"*^ 0 ™! amount to Is 7d. or less than Jd per lb, and would not appear to account for the very large difference between the lid to 2d per lb buying price, and the selling prices as given above. I'urther, it is well known that in any carcase very little, if anything, is wasted, everything being turned to account in some way or another,:, and with the cool storage facilities which all ■up-to-date shops now possess, there should T»^ x»o -irsuiio-stfc s»ll dno to lot weather taint. Duo allowance alttroWj of emmse, bo made for abattoir charges, rent of premises, and payment of assistants, but even taking into consideration all these items of legitimate business_expenditure, it is claimed that the difference between the buying and selling prices is too much in favour of the butcher. One significant fact is pointed put that during some years past very few butchers have come ta grief on account of financial difficulties due to slackness of trade, and the trade has been enjoying a very fair measure of prosperity, and that at a time when they had to pay very much more for their meat than what -they p^y .now, If then, it is argued, the butchers could carry on at a time when meat was dear to them, they : must now be reaping more than a reasonable prpnt, at a time when meat is cheap, and their prices to the consumer remajmng constant.