Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-11-08
From the New York Times
Retail Prices of Beef.


In no country in the world is the mcat-consum-
ing class so large as 10 these United States. In
no city in the Union is the consnmp ton of meat
so large as here in New York. There are few
families so poor but eat meat twice day. While
the price of COAL clothing, cotton goods, and all
textile fabrics in everyday use has greatly d.
minished, meat, which with us is as much the
staff OF life as bread, is still retaed at exorbtant
prices TO rich and poor. Probably few of our
readers are familiar with the details Of the i'm
mense business in our live stock markets, which
are called upon daily TO provide meat for over
million of people But nearly all are to their
great sorrow, only too familiar with the fact that
average cuts Of prime beef are now retailed at
from twenty to thirty cents per pound, prices va
rying according TO rents, locality, etc. These
prices are out Of all proportion to the present
market value of other necessaries Of life-thcy
are severe tax and gricvous burden on both
rich and poor, and cannot be justified on any
known theory involving a fair profit, as we shall
presently show. The large wholesale butchers in
this city have their slaughtering establishments
on the East river front, running all the way from
Fortieth to about Forty-soven street. They buy
cattle on the foot at the Sxtieth street yards, and
sell it dressed to the retail butchers who come in
direct contact with the consumer. 1t is very diff
fcult to accurately estimate the profit of the
wholesaler, but we may say roughly that cattle
bought on the foot at eight cents per pound would
be sold to retailers, dressed at ten cents per pounI
aud lower priced cattle in the same ratio. The
Increase from ten to fifteen, twenty and thirty
cents per pound, prices now exacted from con-
sumers, represents the profit of the retail butcher.
During the past month there has been at Six
tietn street heavy run of cattle, much in excess
of the actual wants Of butchers, after deduct.
ing large daily shipments of carcases to Europe.
The average price per pound on the foot has
ranged under nine cents. Most of the wholesalers
purchases of cattle the foot are based on sys-
ten OF shrinkage by which the net weight of the
meat when dressed is as nearly possible reached.
Thus wholesale butcher will buy bunch OF say
twenty head of cattle on the foot at 50 a hundred
or nine cents pound, shrank them AZ pounds to
the 100 and pay for IS pounds at nine cents per
pound, the % pounds representing the exact
weight of lbe meat when dressed. Sometimes, in
dressing. the shrnkage is less than the percent
age agreed on, which diminution is so much pure
gain to the wholesaler sometimes the shrnkage
is greater when he loses to the extent of such ex
cess. The shrinkage on live weight is from thr-
ty-two to forty-two pounds to the hundred.
very considerable item of profit TO wholesalers
buying live weight is the sale of hides and tallow
IL will thus be seen that cattle, after arriving at
the Sixiieth street yards go through the hands of
two mlddemen-ihe wholesaler and the retailer
before reaching the consumer. Our readers NAV
form some idea of the gains of retail butchers
when state that of late rough Texan cattle have
been selling in the Sixteth street yards at three
and one-half cents per pound, live weight, "lite
Cherokees" at six cents, and ''hard natives" at
seven cents. Prime cuts OF beef now selling at
from twenty to thirty cents, sold in this city
at twelve and half cents per pound before the !
war.
This question of cheap meat should be agitated
s-should be kept constantly before the people-iill
prices Of meat are brought down to the relative |
level of other commodities which enter into the
daily necessary supplies of every family in this
city. The retail butchers, like the coal dealers
have on hand stock of admirable reasons why
they cannot afford to lower their prieos-they will
not yield an inch till they are forced to do so.
No amount OF plteous appeal from the deserving
and hard working poor, will cause them to abate
one iota from their demands. We suggest the
establishment Of cooperative butcher shops, where
both rich and poor could furnish themselves as
nearly at cost possible. The more expensive
cuts would thus find a outlet while the poor man
could lay in his supplies al one-half Of what he
now has 10 pay.
With the assistance Of an active honest Young
man brought up to the butchers trade a few citI.
zens meeting together could almost Immediately
organize and pct into operation a co. operative es
tablisbment OF this kind. 1t would not only give
them cheap beef, but, If we are not much mistaken
pay seven per cent. dividends after the first year
Hty Woulu Dteiu " DuFinp from WHOLESALERS
and retailing not only to members of the Coon
eratiye Butchers Association" but likewise at A
slightly advanced rate to the public at large.
which would soon flock in to take advantage Of
lower prices.
IfAmerican beef can be sent from here to Eng.
land--a distance of three thousand miles-and re-
tailed in the London market for nine pence, say
seventeen cents per pound, surely it should not
SCH here for from twenty TO thirty cents per pound
Aud be it remembered, only the very choicest
Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri cattle are
used for export the common sort, more especial
ly rough Texans, being excluded. This promis-
ins addition to our export trade Is comparatively
new, constantly growing, and is likely soon TO at
tain vast proportions. 1t has already attained an
acreage oil about one hundred carca ses day
roughly estimated at sl5 per carcass-making a
toisl daily export amounting in value To 81 500.
II II not monstrous anomaly that American beef
should be reisiled in London at lower rates than
a great advance and decline from the begin
ming of the war down to the present time