Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 5632x7680 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

CONTROL OF MEAT
PRICES
CANBERRA, Friday. — Pig meats
prices announced by the Meat Com
mission are the flrst Instalment In
a general plan of revision of meat
prices, the object of which Is offi
cially stated to be a guarantee of
reasonable prices to the producers
while at the same time controlling
retail prices to the consumer.
The Minister of Customs (Senator
Keane) said to-day that It would
be the function of the Prices Com
missioner to determine margins at
all stages of the trade. This was
a complex task, but the Meat Com
mission, on which the Prices Com
missioner was represented, would
make recommendations regarding
prices and margins.
Senator Keane said that owing to
heavy Increases In demand for the
services, and to difficulties of trans
port, there had been a substantial
Increase In the price of meat over
the past six months. To control
nreat prices it was necessary ' to
have wide powers for the control
of supply and distribution.
The commission hnd given con
sideration first to pig meats be
cause supplies were - short, and
prices had risen to high levels. The
plan announced would ensure pro
ducers a fixed price and margins
for processing, and distribution
would be announced shortly. The
plan would not come Into operation
until the end of January. This
would give time for the trade to
adjust Its conditions to the new
levol of values announced.
The prices of other meats would
be brought under control ns soon
as the necessary arrangements could
be made by the Meat Commission.
uiu u/iuirnian ui uie iviuui, i/uin-
mlsslon (Mr. Tonkin) said to-day
that the prices announced for pig
meats by the commission were gua
ranteed maximum prices to pro
ducers. and would remain In opera
tion for 1943. Obviously, he added,
the prices did not Include killing,
freezing and processing costs. The
normal method of disposing of pigs
would be continued, and there was
nothing to prevent any pig pro
ducer sending Ills pigs to licensed
works to be processed on his ac
count. It was also logical that pro
ducers would not receive more than
the guaranteed prices at auction,
because no buyer would pay more
than the guaranteed price.
$