ON TUE PRESENT APPROPRIATION OF WAGES, ETC. 277 



potatoes, or 14,000,000/., and, -with 20 per cent, for distribution, 

 17,000,000Z., or in the proportion of 0'32fZ. as the gross, and 0'25cZ. as the 

 net expenditure per day per person. 



Meat. 

 The amount expended in meat is very large. Mr. Caird calculated 

 the value of meat produced at home, in butcher's meat, bacon, ham, 

 pork, &c., at 24,500,000 cwts., valued at 87,000,000/. And he added 

 6,300,000 cwts. of foreign growth, valued at 22,050,000/., making in all 

 109,050,000/. We may test the consumption of meat by another process. 

 "We are indebted to the kindness of Mr. N. Stephen, the Clerk and 

 Superintendent of the London Central Meat Market, for the quantity of 

 meat there sold, which, in 1880, was 221,448 tons.' Add for meat 

 slaughtered by butchers 20,200 tons, and we have a total of 241,674 

 tons, or 541,349,760 lbs., as representing approximately the quantity of 

 meat consumed in the Metropolis. Take the population of what is called 

 Greater London, which the Central Market supplies, at 4,760,000, and 

 the consumption per head is 0'31 lbs. per day. The average wholesale 

 price may be taken at Q\d. per lb., and the average retail price at 7\d. 

 per lb. At the latter price, the amount spent in London alone, on meat, 

 is 16,900,000/. Extend the calculation to the whole country at ^-Ib. per 

 head, and at the same prices of Q\d. and T^d. per lb. respectively the re- 

 sult is a total consumption of 3,193,750,000" lbs., at a cost of 83,000,000/. 

 wholesale price, and 99,800,000/. retail, which give an average expendi- 

 ture of 1"87(7. as a gross, and l"55c/. as a net expenditure per day for 

 each individual. 



Fish. 



The consumption of fish is considerable. Mr. Spencer Walpole, the 

 Inspector of Fisheines, in a report to the Secretary of State, stated that 

 in 1879, 135,000 tons of fish were brought, for consumption, into London ; 

 and that, upon a population of 3,500,000, it gave an average of 90 lbs. 

 per head. Fish is largely consumed by the labouring classes ; but London 

 is exceptionally well supplied with fish, and for the whole population it 

 is not safe to take more than 20 lbs. per head per annum. The price of 

 fish varies considerably with the description and season of the year ; 

 salmon, soles, and turbot selling at considerably higher prices than 

 herrings, mackerel, cod, and other kinds. Taking the total quantity 

 consumed at 700,000,000 Ibs.,^ and the average pi'ice at 4(7. per lb. 



' The proportions were as follows : — 



Tons 



Country killed 107,326 



Town killed 80,90.5 



General foreign (meat and produce) . 7,.381 

 American killed (fresh meat) . . 25,836 



221,248 



- The quantity of fish conveyed by railway from each of the principal fishing 

 ports, in the year 1878, was as follows : — 



Tons 



England 176,652 



Scotland 32,292 



Ireland 6,894 



216,338 

 equal to 484,597,120 lbs. Allowing one-third more for fish consumed direct from the 

 boats, the consumption would be 646,000,000 lbs. 



