CHEAP MEAT FOR UNIONISTS.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13420, 18 March 1914, Page 5

CHEAP MEAT FOR UNIONISTS.

AN AUCKLAND-SCHEME

(United Pbess Association.]

Auckland, March 17

The Auckland Waterside Workers'' Union has in hand a scheme for supplying its own members, and those attached to the arbitration unions throughout the city, with'meat at cost price. On Saturday a special meeting of the union will be held for the purpose ojj considering a large scheme, to -bet placed on a proper business ba.sis. This is the first attempt made by a' New Zealand trade union to adopt the co-operative purchase principle. Just now the idea is being tried on a small scale, and members of the union are purchasing meat direct from the freezing chambers. The result is that it is obtaining lamb at 4d a pound, an<! mutton at 3£d, practically one half of the current prices in Auckland. Last Saturday 17251b were distributed in this way to members, and the previous week even more was sold. The method of procedure is for members to buy carcases direct, and for the union to supply men to cut them up for. division among the purchasers. "A mere flash in the pan," was the description applied to the enterprise by a local butcher. If the union members attempted to establish a depot they would soon find that they could sell no cheaper than the Auckland butchers, and would have to conform to the bylaws, and regulations for the sale of meat. He did not think that the sanitary authorities would for long tolerate the conditions under which the car-* cases were being cut up, and tits Auckland butchers need not bo troubled about the scheme yet.