1909.] Live and Dead Meat Trade in November. 779 



to the consumer through other channels. Butchers buy at Islington 

 and dispose of the meat from their shops, and only the inferior, which 

 is not good enough for their trade, is sent to Smithfield for disposal. 

 It is evident to all who are acquainted with the subject that a fine 

 English bullock is worth within %d. per lb. of the finest Scotch, and 

 is certainly fully equal to the best port-killed American. Yet in the 

 first week of November, Scotch sides were selling at 6\d., port-killed 

 at $%d., and English at $\d. as top value, the fact being that at the 

 same time, had there been any prime English carcasses, they would have 

 made at least 6d. per lb. For the credit of English breeders and 

 feeders, it ought to be clearly understood that English beef is not 

 fairly represented on the Central Market. Anomalies, however, are 

 very common at Smithfield, and prices are not always ruled by the 

 intrinsic worth of the various supplies. For instance, in the first week 

 of November, frozen hind quarters were only making Id. per lb. more 

 than fore quarters, the one fetching ^d. and the other $%d. per lb., 

 simply because the latter were in short supply. 



The most interesting event of the month, however, was the arrival of 

 the first cargo of chilled beef from Queensland, which caused considerable 

 excitement in the trade, and much anxiety as to the result in Australia. 

 This first experiment was a success so far as the condition of the meat 

 was concerned, and much of it was sold at §d. per lb. more than the 

 best Argentine offering the same day, though, of course, not approaching 

 the price of United States chilled. While this chilled Australian was 

 making up to ^d. per lb., frozen from the same source was only 

 fetching 3^. and this solid result must prove very encouraging to the 

 new enterprise, and will perhaps largely stimulate beef production in the 

 Commonwealth. 



Carcass Veal. — The veal supplies were light throughout, but the 

 demand was not great. This article is not largely consumed at this 

 time of year, and November was colder than usual, still further 

 checking requirements. Yet more or less business is done in veal at 

 all times, and the scarcity of really good quality was so marked that 

 the price of best English advanced from 6fd. at the beginning to *j\d. 

 at the end of the month, and as much as Sd. per lb. was obtainable for 

 exceptionally fine carcasses. 



Carcass Mutton. — The hopes that were entertained in October in 

 many quarters of at least some improvement in prices in consequence 

 of the sudden and quite unexpected advance in frozen mutton, were 

 doomed tD disappointment. That movement was not founded on any 

 falling off in supplies or the stocks in cold storage, which are known 

 to have been very large, and it was doubted from the first if owners 

 would be able to maintain their position. The highest point touched 

 for New Zealand of best quality was 5^. per lb. and $d. for Australian. 

 This was in the middle of October, and prices gradually declined till, 

 at the end of November, New Zealand was only fetching 3^. to 4^., 

 and Australian and Argentine best about 3§d. This is still considerably 

 above the low level prevailing before the rise, but frozen mutton is 

 again far too cheap to give much hope of any substantial advance in 

 fresh killed. During the month, there was very little variation in the 

 value of Scotch and English. The former has ranged between 5fd. and 



