The Supply of Meat to Large Towns. 443 



advantage derived from the present system. On the day imme- 

 diately following' sales the owners of the stock receive a cheque 

 for the whole of the stock disposed of, through the medium of 

 London bankers, who charge for the transmission of the money 

 6c/. per head for beasts. If/, for sheep, and 4c/, for calves. These 

 amounts are, we understand, against the salesmen, who, in 

 nvimerous instances, have to give long credit to the butchers. 

 Without credit the butchers of the metropolis could scarcely 

 exist as a body, and immense sums are frequently owing to the 

 salesmen, upon whom the whole risk of loss devolves. 



For some time past a Committee of the House of Commons 

 has been sitting to inquire into the general working of the trade 

 in live animals and dead meat ; but neither the evidence taken 

 nor the conclusions arrived at by the Committee are as yet before 

 the public. Nearly the whole of the butchers who were examined 

 contended that it would be impossil^le for their trade to be carried 

 on in warm weather without the aid of a live-cattle market. 



No doubt, at all periods of the year, there is a fair competition 

 between those who consign live stock and dead meat to the 

 metropolis for sale, and but for this we should have had prices 

 far higher than they now are, and a considerable derangement 

 in the trade generally. Evidence to the effect that the number 

 of stock in the United Kingdom has sensibly diminished of late 

 years was not well received, simply because it was impossible to 

 prove the assertion from statistical details. But I do not hesitate 

 to endorse that opinion. Prior to the passing of the revised tariff 

 London was abundantly supplied with live stock and dead meat. 

 We were not then dependent upon the foreigner for even a portion 

 of our supply of animal food. The demand was fully met, and beef 

 seldom ranged higher in the cattle-market than 4^. 4c/. and mutton 

 4,9. 'od. per 8 lbs. Of course we must make due allowance for 

 the large increase in the population and the impulse given to 

 consumption in large towns by the great development of our 

 commerce. Such new demands, however, have been well met 

 by large importations from abroad ; and yet we have both beef 

 and mutton now worth 65. per 8 lbs., which could not have been 

 the case if our supply had kept pace with our wants. 



Comparisons have been frequently made between the London 

 markets and the system adopted for the supply of Paris with 

 meat, to the advantage of the latter. It has been assumed that 

 the demand has been chiefly met by slaughtermen in the pro- 

 vinces, and that the abattoirs have furnished only about one- 

 third of the consumption. The very reverse, however, has been 

 the case, as we shall show from some statistical details fur- 

 nished by the authorities expressly for this Paper. From them 

 we find that, by an ordinance of the police, oxen and sheep are 



