The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-07-19 00:00:00

DORCH ESTE kt M ARK ET&

At the meeting of the Porchester Town Council, last
Wednesday a memorial was presented from 23 renters
of steeds in the Corn Exchange and others transacting
business there, requesting the Corporation to arrange
the corn and cattle markets that the hours of buaineu
for each should not clash. The propriety of such a
aolicitation cannot be questioned, and it is satisfactory
to learn that the Mayor, Aldermen, mud Councillors,
immediately admitting the foette of the appeal, pro-
ceeded to consider how the wishes of the tnemorialiats
could be granted. The debate which ensued wes a rather
one-sided affair, non-interferer:roe with the corn trade
seeming the only consideration with some of the
members. Hower, r, the prudent counsel of he Mayor,
Mr. Al-bermes Galpin, with Mr. 0 .unciilors Bishop and
Deveniab, that the i conic I should take the opinion of
all the interests involved, In tbe end prevailed,although
the rertinacity of those &haloes to coating the ss'es of
stock to the morning, severed that the committee
app,,ihted should be instructed to conUr as to the
de.irabrlrty of closing the cittle market at two
o'clock, and the holding of the corn market
from one o'clock until five. We believe that •
little impartial consideration will lead to •
different conclusion. Here we have every Saturday
A Isrge establiehed market for the sale of stock, the
chief portion of which is sold by public Auction. To
both tellers and buyers the afternoon is a convenient
time. It is a frequent siisrul•tion of those sending
csttle for sale that they shall not be offered WI after
the arrival of the one o'clock trains, and no doubt they
are right in so urranging, for by that time butchers
and dealers from far and near can attend. If the
sales were fixed for half-pert ten o'clock those
from Southampton and b.yond would have to leave
their businesses on a busy day in the week before
they cull have made arrangements for the day, so
they could not coins; and we all know that our local
and country butchers find ample occupation in their
own shops till mid-day. Without them, and those from
neighbouring twenties, there eon be no stock market,
and without a good cattle market our Corn Exchange
will be il serterl—a prospect by no means satisfactory.
But a change of snottier character offersan easy solution
of the present difficulty, and seems calculated
to be for the convenience of everybody. Let
the corn market be opened at ten o'clock in the morn-
ing and continued till one, end the cattle market be
field, as at present, from one till five or six. By such
an a-tenement the Duro merchants might very well
attend both Dorchester and Btundford or any other
market in the district, while farmira could both .11
their corn and attend the auction of their cattle.
Those who only had business in the Corn Exchange would
bave ample lime for s.eing their friends and of Yise ng
our local trad omen, which would no doubt be mutually
advant•geous. It is always impulttie and dangerous to
interfere with a cattle market, the swoons of which so
much depends upon the suitability of its hours for throe
who do business there : but in our crese, it would be
suicid•l. It is now growing larger and larger, and
if properly fostered, promises to beano° a great
central market for the south and south-west of Rag-
land ; if it be changed to a morning market it will be
practically a new market, and its present business may
b.. diverted to mole convenient channels.ftene wed efforts
would no doubt be made to found a great market at
Winiberne on Thursdays, while Warenam on the
east side and Maiden Newton on the west would
offer every facility for a cattle market, toll free, on
Saturdays. These are matters worthy of grave contsi.
aideration, and we feel sure that if the whole subject
be impartially considered with a view only to the con-
venience of those attending the markets and the good
of the town, the alteration mule will tske some such
line as we have indicated.