A Frozen Meat Company.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1797, 19 February 1886, Page 2

A Frozen Meat Company.

We observe by the .second annual report and balance sheet of the Wellington Meat Preserving and Refrigerating Company, that the operations for the year show a heavy loss, the receipts falling short of the expenditure by no less than £8921 15s fid. The Direo» tors attribute this result " to the low prices ruling for tallow and wool, and the excessive competition in the retail butchering business.” We hardly understand the latter assertion. In Wellington city the retail butchering business appears to be a 1 most a monopoly in which the dear Company and the Wellington Meat Preserving and Refrigerating Company have matters pretty much their own way and charge what retail prices they please. Some three months ago these Companies issued privately a printed circular to the employees in their shops, and the men driving their batcher’s carts, giving a new list of prices for meat, which, taken all round, meant an increase in the charges' to the customers of 23 pet cent. There was a great deal of grumbling about this amongst the Wellington city householders, but they had just to grin and bear the imposition, because the Companies were “ masters of the situation.” This being the case, we don't exactly see that there is much competition iu the retail butchering business in Wellington—unless indeed a close monopoly means competition.