The daily gazette., 1879-05-21
A LOmdlOner ON American Reef.
Fondon Truth. Mays.

a
Fondon Truth. Mays.
My meat Is poison to me, because 1t Is
seasoned with the thought that my
butcher is getting the better of me. or
what use is 1t that our farmers are being
ruined by the importation of American
meat, If the butcher is alone to profit by
this? There are not half dozen butch
ers in London who do not sell American
beef, and who do not defrauG their GUS
TONERS by terming 1t English beef. Here
are few facts for consumers, ,aLd 1t will
be their fault II they do not benefit by
thin.
In Toxas there are great tcattle-ranches.
These cattle are driven to Kansas and
Nebraska, which is the finest grazing
country In the world. There they feed
for two seasons on Kansas grass. When
they are three years old they are shipped
In special cars to Philadelphia, New
York and Boston. At New York there
are cattle-yards capable of holding 6,OOO
beasts each day, at Philadelphia yards
capable of holding 1000 beasts and at
Boston yards capable of holding 1900
beasts. In these yards the beasts are
graded-that is to say, they are separat-
ed into different categories, according to
tutlT 1u0y 6AO bnCh oldusubcI-
ed by q machine that passes knife
across their throats. The carcass is taken
by an elevated railroad into store -rosm
where the hide and hOois are taken Off
and the offal taken ont, also by ma
chinery.
The carcass is then carried by apother
railroad into "chill-room" (about 30 de-
grees), when 1t is wrapped up in cotton
cloth and hung mp In "dry refrigerator"
There are twenty ght steamers between
America and Liverpooi London and
chambers. Each OF these steamers car
ries every trip, on an average, 1000 to
| 800 quarters of beef. When the ship
arrives the chamber Is opened and the
meat is taken out. Most Of it reaches
London via Liverpool, the chamber be
ing opened at night and the meat arriv-
ing at Smthfield the next morniIg. The
average importation is 6, 800 quarters per
week Of this about 25 per cent. is con-
sumed in Liverpool, Glasgow, 30, and
rs per cent. finds its way to London.
During the last week the average price
in Smithfield has been Gid. for hind-quar-
ters and I'D. for fore-quariers. Perhaps
the price will be brought more clearly
home to consumers from the fact that a
| prime sirlOin is sold in Smithtield for z 4d.
per pound. The Smithfield statesmen re-
ceive commission of Q per cent. on their
sales from the importers.
Now is statistical fact that all the
American beef that is sold at Smithfield
| is sold to butchers and with very few
| exceptions the butchers sell 1t to their
customers as English-fed OF "town-kill-
| ed" beef As have said the average
sale in London of American beef is 4, ,875
quarters per week; of this, on an exag-
gerated estimate, 800 quarters alone are
retailed as American beef, consequently
1875 quarters are each week sold at ex-
tOrtionate prices as English beef and
this, say, is is a deliberate swindle on
the public. A year ago American beef
could be dist inguished owing to its dark
color. This however is no longer the
case, this dark tinge having been caused
by the cloth in which it used to be in
closed. At present it is impossible to
distinguish 1t from English beef or from
beef from beasts killed in England.
The American importers are wealthy
men, and they have determined to put
an end, if they to can, the illicitsprofits OF
the English butchers. Under their au-
spices, therefore, central depot has
been opened in oxford street mo. 343.)
At this depot large cellar is being fit
ted up for hanging meat, capable of con-
tanning 1,000 quarters. The retail prices
to the public are as follows: Sirloin 3D.;
fore-ribs, Sad; rump steak, Is; beefsteak
ID. to 10d. per pound. AS they are de-
termined to carry the war into the enc
my's camp, they also sell English legs OF
mutton at 9td,; loin, 3D.; shoulders, 81
per pound. Should this system of re.
failing American beef at American
| prices, with fair margin for costs of de.
pot, succeed, they contemplate opening
other depots In London and in the
suburbs. Already, however, they have
been asked by buffers and other such do
nestle harpies what OmmissiOnSthey al
low, and it has been explained to them
that it is the habit here to give to ser
wants a commission of per ceut. These
benghted Americans have, however, mo-
been educated up TO this pitch of civil
zation, and the harples have gone away
meat he good or bad, the families thai
they serve shall never buy 1t.
Now here are the facts; they cannot bs
contralicted. A butcher Is always as
serting that he has to buy an eutire beast
and that so much of 1t is wasted he /.
forced to charge a very high price fo
salable portions. 1 meet this with tn,
fact that he can buy a sirloin of prim,
American beef, not in America, not il
pound. l will allow HIM I'd. per pount
as his gross profit, and ID. per pound TO
the extra cost of taking orders at house
and for delivery. He therefore can sell
with fair legitimate business profit,
sirloin at 9sd. per pound. My experience
of Americans is not that they sell thir
teen pence for shilling, but rather th'
reverse. l do not suppose that tn,
American gentlemen connected witt
the importation of beef are philantro
phists, who conceive it to be their mis-
sion to feed us without some profit t,
themselves. If at depot opened unde
the auspices sirloins can be sold at Cd
per pound, IL is ridiculous to assert tina
our own butchers cannot sell them at 81,
per pound. They can, but naturally the.
prefer to create a prejudice agains
American meat, and then, having pro
vided themselves with 1t from Smithfield
to sell it to their customers as Englsl
meat.
T>u.A Nn I, P1x Rrs.