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(iii) Any form of buying from wholesalers (including freezing companies). Evidence before the Commission indicated that there has been an increasing tendency for butchers to purchase from a wholesaler, which method of purchase is a form of group buying. It was stated that many of the recruits into the butchery trade in the last few years have neither the knowledge nor experience necessary to buy at auction or in the field and that the services of a wholesaler who supplies at an " on the hooks " basis are consequently of the utmost importance to this class of butcher. While each form of group buying has its merits, we do not consider that any special action by the State in this regard is necessary. We consider that this is a matter for the butchers themselves either to encourage or discourage. Under group buying the butcher is relieved of the responsibility of purchasing his own stock and can apply himself entirely to the conduct of his own retail business. On the other hand, it is highly desirable that nothing should be done to discourage the individual family butcher who knows the requirements of his customers and who can best give effect to those requirements by seeing the stock on the hoof. We have had evidence from most competent butchers that it is highly desirable for the butcher conducting the highest-grade business to see his stock on the hoof, since by doing so he is, in his opinion, best able to judge its quality. There is nothing at present to prevent butchers from adopting one or other of the systems of group buying if they desire to do so, provided always that the provisions of the Commercial Trusts Act, 1910, are not violated. We therefore consider, as stated, that the matter should be left to the butchers themselves. 6. (a) Whether the extension of the -practice on the part of freezing companies of entering into the wholesale and retail butchery trade is desirable, and to what extent this practice affects the operations of abattoirs maintained by local authorities under the Meat Act, 1939. Dealing with the first portion of this question relating to the desirability of freezing companies entering into the wholesale and retail butchery trade, the Commission has had evidence on the part of many organizations and persons appearing before it that this practice is undesirable in that it tends towards a monopoly in the provision of meat for local consumption. The butchers generally appear to be apprehensive of the possibility of the freezing companies extending their activities into the retail field. It appears that there has been some extension of the activities of the freezing companies in this direction, but it did not appear to be very widespread. No witness, however, was prepared to advocate the licensing of retail shops, nor does the Commission advocate such a step. On the other hand, we have had evidence that the practice of freezing companies entering the wholesale trade enables them through their over-all operations to provide meat to the requirements of the butcher at a competitive price on a weight-and-grade basis. As with the retail trade, fears have been expressed by many witnesses that freezing companies might obtain a monopoly of the local wholesale trade, but here again no evidence was produced to show that a monopoly was imminent or, for that matter, even contemplated. While the Commission is satisfied that the value accruing to the butchers from the wholesaling of meat by freezing companies is very real it fully appreciates that any concerted action by freezing companies to capture the local wholesale trade would seriously affect the position of abattoirs and might ultimately detrimentally affect the position of butchers. There is also the fact that the handling of meat by freezing companies tends to bring the quality of meat to a general level. The Commission, however, is of the opinion that no positive action is required at the present time, but the position is one that requires watching by the appropriate authority.

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