The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-10-09
IN EUROPE MEATS
ARE VERY HIGH
Washington Butcher Com
pares Continental Prices
with American Prices.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. emil
Joseph, Washington Market butcher,
has just returned from a three
months trip to Europe, during which
he mixed business with pleasure by
keeping his eye on the markets of the
leading Continental cities for the pur-
pose of satisfying himself as to liv-
ing conditions and more particularly
to ascertain the prices paid for meats
in the butcher shops of Vienna, Paris
and elsewhere. The results of this
inquiries convinced him, he says, that
the customers of the American butch
er have less to kick about in these
days of high cost of living than folks
on the other side.
wherever | went" he said, Il
found that the beef was scarce and
much higher than in this country. In
some countries it is so expensive that
poor people can afford to eat it only
once a week
while in Vienna l dropped into
market that had been handed down
from father to son in straight line
for 400 years. 1t was kept by Fer
dinand Zinsler, whose uncle had
shop next door which supplies meat
to royal families.
81 had long and interesting talk
with Zinsler and was surprised great
ly to learn from him how much higher
prices are in Vienna than herein New
York.
Prices of Meat.
For instance, the wholesale price
fCy, thara iS 81 cents
a pound, while here it is about 16
cents. Sheep with heads on cost 16
cents, while the price to the retail
butcher here is cents. The cheap
est meat found in Vienna was lamb,
whole lambs being bought for $1.0O
apiece; the wholesale price in this
country is IL cents a pound or about
So each.
"The retail prices of beef would jar
you. Rump or round steak in Vienna
costs the housewife 3S cents a pound,
bones and all, as against 20 cents
here.
"porterhouse roast with or without
fillet brings SO cents there and 80
cents here; quite difference, as you
will observe. Prime rib roast is AZ
cents a pound and here it is 26 cents.
Chuck roast beef there is % cents and
our customers never have to pay more
than 16 cents.
Partisan Prices.
Nov take the Paris prices. The
wholesale price of beef is from 16 to
Is cents a pound. Round steak in
Paris costs % cents a pound; top
chuck is "a cents. The best cut of
'plats' for boiled beef or soup meat
is retailed at % cents a pound, while
in this country the price ought to be
around IA and Is cents.
"They get 80 cents pound for legs
of mutton, and tomorrow you can buy
the best there is in this market for
1919 cents retail.
"Other prices are accordingly high.
For instance, they will charge you
z cents for a lamb kidney. We get
2 and 3 cents. Calves brains are 80
cents pair and here they are II cents
Mutton brains are worth IA cents
there and only 5 cents in New York.
Beef brains are quoted at IS cents in
Paris and 10 cents in Washington
Market.
"A call HodTC is COuSlu6Teu great
delicacy, and you have to pay 32 cents
for it, which is considerably in excess
of and 10 cents that the American
housewife has to pay for it,
Pork is very high in France, chops
bringing 35 cents pound in all first
class shops; the average New York
price is % cents. Fresh hams bring
"a cents, as against Is cents here.
German Prices.
Il found that the prices in Ger
many were about the same as in
France, and all along the line it was
a case of very little meat for the
poor folks.
''One day l dropped into big beer
garden in Munich There were hun
dreds of men and women sitting at
the tables drinking great stems of
Muenchner beer and eating radishes
and bread. The beer cost only four