FARMERS AND FARMING. No. XL

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2122, 13 February 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARMERS AND FARMING. No. XL

A xvriJliw., sequence to tho letters on the iinreniou'ible commission, >.»nl fie«, and interest charged by the auctioned s will be one on tlie no less e\tia<»rdin.»i y piofits of the butcher. This ch'-a of middlemen is legitimate, for ab a -natter of fact there must be someone to slaughter, dress, and distribute the. carcases of cattle, sheep, etc. The farmer could not conveniently undertake to do it, except in isolated instances, anrl as far as the consumer individually is concerned the idea is altogether out of the question. Then, whence the le.ison of attacking a class of distributers which, it must be acknowledged, is in e\ery sense of the word, not only legitimate, but absolutely necessary. The reason why they should be attacked and the mask torn from the face of a privileged class of extortioucis, is not far to seek. Do uot they prey upon the producer and consumer even to a greater extent than the auctioneer, though their business is divided amongst many, whereas the other is purely a monopoly ? Agaiu, tho butchers have the risks of their fciiide to meet an well as the expense cf distribution. And yet their sacred and " vested interests " miiNt not be touched, must not be encroached upon in any form or t>hape, else the cry of sacrilege is raised. 0 ! yo producers and consumers lift up your hearts in deep thankfulness for that your rights as free men have not been completely confiscated by these derouring creatures. I, in the name of your rights, appeal to principles of honesty inhumanity (which, 1 oadly doubt, are at a very low ebb in thu country) and the requirements and necessities of your position at producer**, etc., to conduct an enquiry into the process whereby the butchers create such a vast margin as exists between what they give fur their cattle and sheep, and what they receive for the beef and mutton when sold retail. It is almost impossible for an outsider to go into the intricate details of wheels within wheels which exists in this craft.. Monopoly (I ur6 the word irt its commercial meaning) has a great deal to do with the manipulation of affairs, financial houses, auctioneer, wholesale butchers, and the retail butchers, though many of the latter are almost in as ridiculous a position as the farmers. They hardly dare look upon their bodies as their own. Particularly if they try to carry on business on their own account, and in opposition to the circle. The whole py^tem is wire pulled, which so f-ir works* admirably. The result of this management i* a complete "swindling" of the farmer uud the consumer. Monopoly, in this form us in any other, it> nothing if it is not actual an-1 absolute "thieving," tho robbing of the many for the benefit 1 , of the few, and it cannot bo condemned too strongly. Really honobt high-minded men have no truck with such a vile ey&tem. Forcible language this, if not polite ! Yes, but none the less required. For is there any just cause or reason why tho whole-alp price of meat should vary so much from week to week ? lam now writiug of cattle, though I use the term meat. You can attend a few stock auctions and see fat crittle varying from one week to another as much as 20s to 30s, and even more per head, which is an immeusu 1 variation when yon take into consideration that cattle have to be piimo to realise about £7 10s per head. The generally alleged cause of this is an influx of fat cattle from the West Coast. One would naturally think that the consumer would reap some slight heuefit irom such a large depreciation in the value of meat. Not he. He has to pay the same price for his beef, whether a f.it animal bells for £4 or £G. Of course, the wholesale butchers reap the main advantage of this variation iv the price of fat stock, and the market is accordingly worked for their benefit. The manipulation in this affair is only in keeping, or on an exact parallel with the wholesale and retail dispos il of the rest of the farmets' produce. Now, one of the chief assertions made, in support of these enhanced prices of meat, bread, milk, groceries, etc., is the great expense attached to their distribution amongst customers. I must acknowledge that as business is at present conducted this item of expense is large. Merc assertion is not argument ; hence we inubt ask ourselves the question: Is this costly mode of distribution necessary ? lv analysing this question I shall do so only in regard to the retail business, though my remarks apply in a great measure to the wholesale houses. Further, I include "all" the retail trades dealing in the necessaries of life, as my arguments apply not only to one but to nil. In the country and in the towns you find that everything in the shape of business is done to' death. How no ? By competition ? No ! By lack of demand? No. How then? By distribution. This distribution produces a slight competition in the larger towns which is not so apparent in the smaller townnhips. Custom ac a rule has fixed the fees of the professions of law and physio; hence competition in these callings does not bring down the fees, but simply effects a distribution of practice. I think this ia the way in which the wholesale and retail businesses are conducted in thin country. Custom, that is the custom of the tradesmen, or Keller*, has fixed the prices of the necessaries of life ; therefore the engagement of many meu in the same bu»me*K doe- uot produce competition, but merely a dit tribution of the business of a district. Fur example, take a small town--hip situated in a faiily setlilrd and apparently rising district, and what do you find? A town-hip <>f rhrivmsr tradesmen? N'>, by u<> mPdiM, tMf>v ure all ctruifgling for a living. Mj-tly practically in the hand* nf the wholesale homes. And why are they smuggling initead of thriving? Simnlv, tieeatiHt* the trade of a district which in cnpablo of supporting one or two tradesmen in com purative comfort, is maintaining three, tour and five. Aud herein comes t.h" cost of distribution. These tradesmen have tlipmselvet and families to keep, along with wages to assistants, generally two, sometimes more. Thus where five or six men are required, they are eight, twelve or fifteen, and the poor producers and consumers have to pay for all thin. For a tradesman can conduct a large business much more economically than a small one. This advantage thn producer and consumer should attend to and reap the benefit of. In my next letter I iutend to deal in detail with the wholesale and retail prices of meat, and with the auctioneers charges in connection with an estimated weekly consumption of stock as fond.

Ut Prosim.

"So you've sworn off slang," the father said, To his fair-haired household pet ; And the maiden tossed her pretty head And laughingly said, " You bet ! " " Do you know, Gporge, I wi*h you WJiikl ftay at home tomorrow ?" "Why, darling?" "Oh, because this afternoon a terrible-looking tramp came here while you were away and ordered me to give him something to eat, so I had to givo him all that spontre cake I made last Saturday ; and George, he says he's coming back to.-morrow." " Did hv eat the nake, dailin«r?" "Ye*, all of it." " Well, then, set your mind at rest, dear ; h^ will nerer come back." A London* waiter was both witty and sarcastic, and didn't kuow the fact. "Did you call that a veal nutlet, waiter F" «aid an exquisite, one of the most delicate type even m that favourite region of exquisite*, the West End. " Why, sir, such a veal cutlet as that is an in-ult to every self-respecting calf in the British Empire." Tho waiter hung his head in very shame for a moment; and then replied, in the language of humblest apoU-gy, "I really didn't intend to ineult you, air."