DAY BY DAY

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14600, 25 February 1921, Page 4

DAY BY DAY

Another Hamilton Dutcher has stepped into Hie arena to Live stock nuikc an effort and to justify the Butchers' Profits, present price of meal in relation to the ruling rutcs Cor live stock. He soundly berates our correspondent fur his temerity in bringing the matter forward, but judiciously avoids the chiel point which has been repeatedly raised. By a scries of side issues, he seeks,to divert attention I'rcan the principal matter; ho apparently hopes by emphasising the butchers' outlay, to minimise consideration regarding Ins Income. Our correspondent to-day refers to the demands of the butchers for higher wages, ami the fact thai these may be granted in the near future. Apparently he thinks that the "butchers are justified in levying upon the public now to meet an outlay that they may have In make in the future—a course l which is undoubtedly safe and rei munerative, even if its morality cannot he ileiVmlfil. We, however, do not | wish l" bring any side issues into 'his i i imtrovcrs>. the point of which is: Are Ihe present prices of meal .instilled at | Iho ruling rale.-, for live slock? These 1 prices were fixed when live shirk was i high. Live stock has. however, fallen i hut there has been no corresponding ! fall in meat. The butchers quote their j overhead charges in Justification, Iml I these are the same as those ruling I when higher prices for live stuck ruled. To put the matter in another form: A tradesman purchases a line of goods at ' £5, which, after making allowance for ; his overhead expenses, he retails | profitably al 2s Gd each; if stibse- ; qucntly those goods fall lo E 3 whole- ! sale is he justified in adhering to his retail prl if 2s (id ii" his overhead expenses are unchanged? We ire jjileased to see that the Prices Invea-

[ tigation Board is to go into, the matter. II will be interesting *to see how the arguments of the Hamilton butchers impress those astute men. A recent cable message announced the institution by tha The Monaoe United States Gov- _ of | ernment of quaranTyphus Fever, tine as a precautionary measuri against typhus. The first authenticated diath since 1892, presumably in New York, is stated to have just occurred from this disease. Vigilance, such as quarantining illustrates, in keeping typhus at a distance, is vigorously prompted to-day by [he warning provided in the prevalence of this dread disease in some parts of Central Europe. It is a far cry from typhus-stricken Poland to the United States, nevertheless tha American authorities are evidently not ii clined to take any risks. Perhaps tin danger of. the introduction of typhus into the United Slates, through thi agency of European emigrants, is greater (tan it is in the case of Great Britain. Gases of typhus are iare in the United Kingdom, but it is stated that a few appear annually, usiwJiy In or near sear >rts. Typhus was ridemic in Ireland until quite recent years, and a considerable number of cases still occur there iv nually. The western regions of tha Continent of Europe have long been practically free from the malady, but : t' Pas always been endemic in Western I'.ussia, and to a much more limited degree in Galioia and Poland, as well ni hi certain portions of Eastern Germany, it lias been called the "hunger-fever," --a phrase only correct, ft is observed, in the sense that under-nourished-popu-lations such as now exist in Central Europe are incapable of offering muc'i resistance to the infection. Typhus has always been associaled with war, ami the last serious epidemics of the disease in England were believed to have had their origin in infection brought back by the troops from the Crimea. Thi worst year was 1856, when 1062 patitnts were admitted to the London Fever Hospital. Terrible epidemics of typhus m Central Europe followed the Napoleonic wars. It has been conclusively proved, competent authorities tell u*. that the infection is carried by lico which are parasitic upon man. Tha disease occur? most frequently in temperate climates and in the winter sea* sen, the explanation being that its development is encouraged by overcrowding, bad ventilation, and close contact ir dwellings. There should be a very important safeguard against its spread from Central Europe to-day in the fact that its character and the precautions required arc now thoroughly understood, and the occurrence of an isolated, case in New York may prove to be of na particular significance.