CHEAPER MEAT?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16736, 18 May 1922, Page 7

CHEAPER MEAT?

TO THE EDITOR. Sir.— It was with much amusement 1 road the report in Wednesday’s "Star” that the Christchurch Master Butchers have decided to reduce wages in accordance with the Arbitration Court's general order, and pass on that, reduction to the public by reducing tne retail prices of meat in accordance with the amount taken from their employees. Now. sir. 1 would like to ask tile Christchurch master butchers how they propose to pass the reduction on to the public- Take, for example, a butcher who employs four men. The amount lie would save by wage reciuo turns would be a total of £1- Now, for a butcher whose business warrants the keeping of four employees T sav it is an impossibility for him to reduce any joint of meat that is ordinarily purchased hv the average working man that will not cost him considerably more than the saving caused by the wage reduction. This example would apply to all retail butchers, as the number of employees is usually governed by the amount of turnover of the business Have our master butchers decided to become philanthropic towards the public, or is it only an excuse to net a little extra profit?—T am, etc., EX ADVERSO.