RETAIL MARKETING OF MEATS 7 
Express shipments. — Retail dealers not on refrigerator-car routes 
are often served by the packers through express companies which 
are also often used for special orders. Branch houses frequently use 
them to reach their trade in neighboring localities. 
Jobbers. — With the development of other distribution agencies, 
the functions of jobbers became less important. They now usually 
handle the products of the smaller slaughterers and packers, reducing 
carcasses to desired wholesale cuts, and distribute excess stocks or 
special lines. They purchase in comparatively large quantities and 
usually under 'favorable market conditions and sell in smaller quan- 
tities to the retail trade and frequently to hotel and restaurant trade. 
The jobbing trade is especially large in Boston, where certain 
western packers are not directly represented and therefore use the 
jobbers. 
Wholesale peddlers. — In some cities, especially in Chicago, jobbers 
often conduct transactions on a scale so small that they are called 
" peddlers." They obtain their meat from the packers at prices ap- 
proximately 1 cent per pound lower than ordinary retailers and often 
have special opportunities in week-end clean-up sales. As their 
dealings are usually with small grocers handling small quantities and 
limited in their knowledge of the meat trade, they sometimes obtain 
excessive prices, but often their customers find dealing through them 
more satisfactory than directly with the packer. 
Retailers in capacity of jobbers. — In most market centers are 
dealers who, in addition to their own retail business, act as jobbers, 
selling in small quantities to small grocery stores that carry fresh 
meats largely as an accommodation to their customers. Pork-chops 
and steaks constitute the bulk of the meat so distributed. 
LOCAL SLAUGHTER 
Local slaughter in many instances betters the position of the live- 
stock grower by furnishing a local market, thus eliminating expenses 
and losses of transportation. Sometimes it utilizes animals that, 
because of insufficient number or unfinished condition, can not profit- 
ably be shipped to centralized markets. The producer and con- 
sumer jointly will ordinarily receive whatever saving may be effected 
by this local trade. 
That advantages of slaughtering in centralized establishments 
in most instances outweigh the disadvantages is apparent from the 
great decrease in the amount of local slaughter, even where an ade- 
quate supply of livestock is available. Moreover, most meat 
slaughtered outside the centralized packing plants receives no ade- 
quate inspection like the Government inspection for interstate ship- 
ment. Unless satisfactory local inspection is provided, insanitary 
conditions in local slaughterhouses and the sale of meat of diseased 
animals are likely to be of greater consequence to the* community 
than the economic advantage or disadvantage of local as compared 
with centralized slaughter. Local slaughter may be by a slaugh- 
terer who sells meat products to the retailer or by the retailer him- 
self who conducts his slaughtering operations either in a private 
slaughterhouse or in a central abattoir. 
