The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-01-30
THE ENGLISH BUTCHER.
How 1t II That He Can Sell America
Beef SO CheaD.

How 1t II That He Can Sell American
Beef Cheap.
1t is remarkable fact that American
cattle are shipped from Chicago to Liver
pool, slaughtered there, and the beef sold
In st. Johns market at retail for about
the same prices that prevail in this CITY,
says the Chicago Tribune. When it is
taken into consideration that the cost Of
shipping cattle to Liverpool is about SO
per head, this statement becomes all the
more strange. The freight by rail from
Chicago to New York averages close to S.
and the ocean freight is about S.. Loading
and unloading the cars and steamer, feed
on the long trip, insurance, the wages Of
attendants, and the expense of putting the
cattle on the market in Liverpool make up
the rest of the $22
With this handicap it seems impossible
that American beef should be cheaper
comparatively speaking, than it is 1000
miles nearer the field of production, but
this is fact. They have curious meth
cd of buying live cattle by dead weight in
the old country. The price is fixed by
what the experts think the dressed car
casses Will weigh. In America the simple
system OF paying for beeves and other
, live stock by the actual gross weight is
followed. but this won't do in the land
across the sea. Buyer and seller over there
agree as to what steer will dress sink
ing the offal,' and on this calcula ton the
trade is made.
in Liverpool in the present depressed con-
dition OF the market is about II cents a
pound for the estimated dressed weight
This is fully cents a pound more than
the retail butcher in Chicago pays for the
bulk of the cattle exported are not of SO
high grade those slaughtered here
and sold in the carcass at cents. The
English butcher gets his best cuts from
the home cattle he buys at SmithfieId
market or from prime American dresse
beef. Frozen meat from South America
and frozen mutton from Australia and New
Zealand satisfy the demand of the poorer
classes, While the small tradesman and
similar people, who constitute the larger
part OF the English population, are fed
on the meat that comes from cattle shipped
on the hoof from 1.-The states
The English butcher is a conservative
man. The chances are his father before
him was butcher, and if he has son he
expects to raise him in the same line Of
trade. He is not bothered with political or
social aspira tons, and so long as his bust
ness gives him living, be it never SO
frugal. he is content. He is satisfied with
a smaller margin of profit than his Amer
lean brother, and being naturally of a
thrifty turn manages to lay up a little
money under conditions that would brighten
off man of different temperament. Com
petition is strong and he has to economiZe
at every point.
There are some things in his favor how
ever. One of these is that he can rent a
shop ready fitted for his business at fl $50
a week. To his assistant he will have to
pay 10 shilings $3.50 a week and board,
and while the living will be generous in
quantity, there will be no porterhouse
steaks or lamb chops on the butcher S
table. at least not very often. The English
people are great consumers of what in this
country is known as coarse meats. There
is no rage there for steaks and cuts of that
kind, and the retailer is generally able to
sell every scrap of the carcass. These are
some of the reasons, and the principal ones
why an English butcher paying 4 cents
over the Chicago values for his stock, is
able to retail it for about the same price
that is charged in this city.