The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-12-23 00:00:00

CHEAP BUTCHERS' MEAT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SlR,—Allow me to make a few observations in your jour-
nal on the subject of cheap Butchers' meat. There is
at present a great outcry relative to this matter, and it is a
subject on which the public have naturally a very interested
feeling ; but that feeling, as at present existing, is somewhat
prejudicial to the respectable vendor of meats, who is obliged
to have a first-rate article for the supply of bis customers.
The present mania about cheap provisionf.bas been mainly
brought about by the anticipated importations of live stock
from the continent of Europe, and saltej provisions from
America. Of the former, sufficient time has not been allowed
for the butcher or the public to reap any benefits, as the
foreign live cattle imported into the United Kingdom since
the passing of the tariff up to the present period, amounts to
less than one week's consumption for the metropolis alone ;
and the latter article having come forward of such a wretch-
edly bad quality and description, that whatever the price
may be—(even should a better article be imported)—it is
not calculated to supply the place of fresh provisions in this
country.
The reduction in the value of cattle does not warrant the
extraordinary low prices expected by the public, which I
shall point out by referring to the weekly published state-
ments of the cattle markets.

At the Liverpool markets the quotations were :
On the 12th Dec., 1841. On the 12th Dec., 1842.
Best Beef 61(1 Best Beef ..... 6d
Middling&lnferiornd to 44d. Middling &Inferiorsd to 4d.
Best wetherMuttonid Best wether Mutton6id
Ewe ditto 6d Ewe ditto fild to 41d
At Smithfield market, at London, of which a correct re-
port appears weekly in the Mark-lane Express, the prices
were :

On the 12th December, 1841,
Prime Beef 4s 2d to 4s 8d per Blbs.
Prime Scot Beef
Second Quality 3s 10d to 4s Od „
Coarse and Inferior ..3s 4d to 3s 8d ~
On the 12th December, 1842.
Prime Beef
Prime Scot Beef 4s 4d to 4s 8d „
Second Quality
_ _

Coarse and inferior 3s 2d to 3s 4d
showing a reduction on fine quality of meats of less than id.,
and on middling and inferior qualities of about ld to lid per
lb—the difference on the lower quality being greater in pro-
portion in consequence of the quantity of diseased beasts just
now slaughtered, arising from an epidemic which is prevalent
amongst cattle. and which, although not to be detected after
being killed, is such that no respectable dealer would offer it
to his customers, nor is the number of fine quality of beasts
this season equal to the foiegoing, which will account for the
slight difference in the value betwixt the present price and
the price this time last year, and which also causes it to be
more sought after; for, at the Liverpool Cattle Market on
Monday last, out of 1,480 beasts on sale, there were only
about 200 of fine quality, nearly half of which were bought
by dealers for the London market, where also the same de-
fects in the production of fine meat are apparent.
But it is observable, that in all meat markets there is no
scarcity of quantity, although there is of quality, which
causes the value of middling and inferior (and therefore
detrimental to the dealer in fine meat) to be less than last
year, not only in consequence of the large quantity of inferior
and diseased meat killed, but also the large quantity of cheap
descriptions of food, &c. at present in the market. Another
disadvantage which the family butcher labours under is, the
reduced value of the rough and boiling pieces of the prime
meat having to be brought into competition with the abun-
dance of the other sorts as before noted ; so that those fami-
lies being served at an average price, if paying not more than
the reduction noted in the live stock markets, are sup-
plied on better terms than at the corresponding period, last
year, when it was admitted that the retailer was not getting
more than a reasonable remuneration, and who, conse-
quently, is not now in the position to make those great re-
ductions expected by the public, unless by resorting (which
it is feared in many instances is now the case) to a worse
quality or a bad description, in order to secure himself from
loss, or loss of customers.
It is only to point out the real facts of the case that the
subscriber brings this matter before the public.
I remain, Sir, yours obediently,
A RETAIL BUTCHER.