The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-04
MEAT INSPECTORSHIP.
WHAT BEEF EATERS PAY THE MID.
DIE MEN.
Difference In the Price OF Meat Between
the Packer and the Consumers
How Butcher and Tradesman Fatten
on Their Earnings.

on Inelr Earnings.
The passage OF an ordinance on its first
reading, to appoint meat inspector at the
Legislative Council meeting last Thursday,
is measure OF Importance 70 the inhabi-
tants of this city.
The language of the proposed ordinance
is to the effect that the inspector is to be
appointed by President Hadden, and he
shall inspect fresh meat, whether on foot
or killed, to be sold or consumed in this
city, and whenever il shall be found dis
eased, unwholesome or unfit for use he
shall condemn and forbid the sale thereof.
This measure passed its first reading on
Thursday and at the meeting next week
its final passage on its second reading will
come up for consideration. Meantime
anybody having anything to say either for
or against the proposed ordinance can get
ready TO ventiate themselves.
Efforts were made before the recent ses-
sion OF the State Legislature to enact laws
concerning the admittance into the mar
kets Of the State OF dressed beef and other
meats from other States but nothing came
vi IT, lnOuBl iOi tliht thIEC WAS ~ bOOd
deal OF stir about it.
The retail price OF beef in this market
does not vary much, despite the fact that
meat on foot as well as dressed, at whole
sale. is down TO lower point Of value than
has been known for a generation or, per-
. haps.. several generations. Indeed the
~~rate to dressed beef buyers and retailers is
about % to q cents per pound Tor the
whole OK or COW. People sell the latter in
good order to the butchers at about II to
% cents per pound gross, or from SIS to
SIS for an animal on foot, or about hall as
much as they pay for the same animal in
its dressed form. The same rule applying
10 beef governs sheep, pigs and other ami.
mails used for consumption.
A subject OF much importance Is the
difference between the value OF meat rs it
leaves the packers hands ard at which IL
gets into the hands OF consumers. There
is evidently profits OF 100 per cent. or more
to the retail dealer, and it is n notable fact
that meat sellers waxeth fat and grow rich
all over the country, where they are not
given to too much convivfality, or, in other
words, where they do not drink up their
meat or waste their substance in riotous
living. Butchers babies are always as fat
4 as pigs, their wives are in the main rosy
and plump and they themselves grow
rotund and often jocund long before they
~ reach middle life. The average figures OF
w beef retailers in this market rules about rs
+. follows per pound:
slrloin steak. gals
IA Round Gl2b
II Nh foasr... -...-l2 Osl3
III thuck pieces .'... ...... @lO
II costs the Cold Storage and other deal
ers in dressed beef perhaps lc pei
pound to freight and distribute their meat
II TO tho retailers, and the ruling figure o.
"A Chicago packers all last month TO that
trade was about SIC, making the cost a
points OF distribution from 81 TO 64c The
VI Kansas City packers, from whence ou
a dressed beef IS purchased, comes TO u
somewhat cheaper than the figures given
but in the Eastern markets the retailer
realizes from &c 10 Sc per pound NOR
than Is paid here; hence their profits ar,
greater where the rents are not too high
The way the Chicago dressed beef peopl,
figure on u is as follows: A fat steer weigh
ing !, 500 pounds Is worth on foot ilc gross
II will dress 0i5 pounds, OF which 60 pc
cent. is prime and 10 per cent. course. U
the gross per cent. is tallow, o per cent
hide, per cent liver, heart and tongue
The ofIal, including blood, grease. horns
hoois, entrals aud everything is valuable
and Is turned into money, and the packer
make a good profit on the oiIal alone.
The otal aud trimmings OF good.sizc,
steer or fat COW will sell for from s. &
$3.50. The hide, weighing from sixty 4
eighty pounds, Is worth IN its green ioru
an average OF So; from scycntyffye /
eighty pounds OF ,allUw Is worth $3.50; IN
liver Is worth % cents; tongue, IS cents
head, hoois aud horns, 10 cents; brains, !
cents, and heart 10 cents. A good s,ee
will run up as high as seventy pounds o
beef dressed TO 100 pounds on foot, Will
COW OF 500 pounds will drop of TO fifty .
sixty pounds on the 100.
In some Of the larger cities whore ih
aid OF legislation Is invoked 10 break u
the interstate trade in dressed beef IN
price 10 retailers has recently advanced
per cent. In Minnesota. where the mcs
inspection acts has practically stopped th
importation Of dressed beef, this has n
suited, and various leading dealers hay
Withdrawn from the traffic, these inclu,
ing Armour & Co. and swift 4 Co.
Dressed beef has also been shut out
the markets Of the States OF Indiana an
Colorado rs well as Minnesota by hosti
legislation and II packers were TO decliu
10 buy cattle driven from those State
the growers Of stock would miss big ma
kels Tor their supplies.
Here for several years the dressed be-
business has grown until II has reache
colossal dimensions and the bulk Of III
beef used on the table comes from kansl
City and the Northwest In roirigerai,
ID cars. So popular Is this class Of meat th
the small dealers in. the outskirts. who y,
their home raised stulI, some OF which
blue in color and " slice were throw
against a wall would stick there only iin
customers from the poorer classes wi
prefer cheap goods, and do not know
good article when they see il.
A difference In the value OF meat {
foot now as compared with Eve years ~
Is illustrated by the fact that milk co
in good order was sold by the writer 20
city butcher for so cash, and recently
found Il n hard job Ia get butcher
take one In the same condition Tor 81
Both weighed gross about 500 pounds ~
both made choice meat.
Next Thursday. whom the meat insp,
ton bill comes up for a final feading
may expect " see fun.
But rs we have scale and weight !
spcctors, coal oil inspectors, back yard
houeo 10 house inspcctora milk insppcto