The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-08-24 00:00:00

JOURNEYMEN BUTCHERS AND THE
PRICE OF MV AT.

On Sunday evening a meeting of journeymen
butchers was held near Chelsea New Bridge. A Mr.
ConoLy was called on to preside, and, after some
preliminary remarks, observed that ow that all th,
working c.asses had unite 1 to betier their position, the
time had arrived for the hard-worked and liadly•paid
jeuroeymen butchers to raise themselves by unionism.
(Cheers.) Let them act righly, and not unreason-
ably. It was unfor .unate for them that meat was no
high in price, and, despite the talk of rinderpe-t,
foot and month disease, and other cattle plagues, they
must look to other cauies for the market figures.
Grass and all cattle foods were never more abundant,
awl a better second crop of hay never was ready for
the scythe. He heard the same of mangolds, beets,
and turnips, and, being a young man from the country
he understood the value of such blessings from
Heaven. (Hear and cheeis ) Some alleged the high
price of meat to come from the butchers; some cried
out it was the cattle dealers ; some said it was the
landowners exacting so much for their f..rms ; others
paid it was the farmers and the graders; and they
all in turn laid the dearness of meat to the
Government. (Laughter.) But be lie:ieve 1 they
all lad a liner in the pie—(ebeers and laughter)—
and if the journeymen butchers were to wait for a
rise of wages uotil meat lowered tney avonld have
to take a few chapters out of the Book of Job. He
did not wish to say hard things of their employers,
but of late years they Lad ridden the high horse, not in
top•boots, but in London broughams,
and looked down with contempt on the Isbeur that
sent their sous and daughters to boarding schools,
monied the proud misses to City aldermen, and the
upstart young masters to squires' daughters, so as to
become large farmers. (Loud cheers.) His father
had sent him a curious paper up from the north as to
the cattle market when Sir Robert Peel passed his
famous measure thirty years ago, to this effect :
" A good supple of beasts at Newcastle Market, Oct her 11,
ISi2. sheep and lamb- a large supply. In consequence of
the tariff the graziers are marmi d, and are bringing their
stock to market before it Is ready although there never were
more buyera. Sellers had to submit to a considerable redo,
tion, and at the close about 1,000 were turned out unsold.
Beasts, prime, 6,3 d. ; middling 53, to 55. 64. ; wedder sheep
of the first solidity about is. per head above 54. middling,
41. to Std. ; beat black-f aced, 441. to 40. ; mirdling, 31d. ;
ewes, 31 to 314., sinking offal."
Now, let them look at last week's prices beside
these. In the time of Henry VIII. meat prices were
fixed bylaw, and thought too dear at this figure t Pork
and beef, a halfpenny a pound; mutton, three far-
things a pound. He contended that the high price of
meat concerned the journeymen more thah the master
butcher when the men were told that the masters got
no profits ; but the public did not know that the
master butcher made five quarters out of a beast.
though he only paid for four—the skin and other parts
not sold to the public made the fifth quarter. He
trusted that this first little meeting would lead to good
results. •
Mr. Robinson, in moving that a journeymen
Butchers' Operative Society be formed, said that the
master butchers had been lucky in getting married
to West-end cooks and housekeepers, who having
better wages than clergymen, paved money enough
to start the butcher who called for orders in
business. (Laughter.) But these good days had
gone for ever. The cooks got snapped up now
by the area police and rifle volunteers. (Roars of
laughter.) And once a butcher boy, always a boy,
even when they got bald. (Laughter.) So they must
not look to noblemen's cooks for an increase of com-
forts, but to better wages. (Cheers.) The men must
stick to each other.
Names were taken down, and the Chairman
announced that circular, would shortly be sent to the
different shops and slaughter houses.
The meeting was very orderly.