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of frozen beef, mutton and lamb received at the above ports 
from Australia, New Zealand, and South America and of 
chilled beef from South America during 1924. There are some 
slight differences in the class of goods shipped to each port— 
Glasgow, for example, takes large quantities of boneless beef, 
but is not a great importer of mutton. In Liverpool and 
the North generally—excepting, perhaps, Newcastle-on-Tyne— 
light carcasses and quarters are preferred, even if the quality 
is not so good. In London, heavier weights were at one time 
freely taken, which was convenient for importers, as they 
shipped their lighter weights to Liverpool and other outports 
and brought their heavier first-quality goods to London. 
During recent years, however, a change has occurred in the 
tastes of London purchasers, and now light weights are in as 
insistent demand as they are in the North. The result is 
reflected, for example, in the returns for second grade lambs of 
lesirable weights—from about 28 to 34 lb.—which frequently 
command a better price and meet a readier sale than first-grade 
lambs of from 36 to 42 1b. (see p. 16). This is, of course, due 
to the public demand for small joints, which also accounts for 
the demand for young beef. Heavy mutton—:.e., mutton over 
about 60 ‘1b.—is still in demand for certain special purposes, 
such as contracts for the Fighting Services, but, except in times 
of great shortage, it is only saleable at low prices, the carcase 
required being one that gives from 48 to 56 Ib. of dead meat. 
(b) The Provincial Trade.—Apart from London, meat is not, 
as a rule, stored at the ports, unless it is needed for local con- 
sumption, but is distributed ex-ship to the consuming centres. 
[n those large cities, such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, 
and Glasgow, which have wholesale meat markets,* there are 
usually imported meat sections in the markets, and, in these, the 
chief South American importers have stalls; in large cities and 
towns without wholesale markets, these importers have their 
own wholesale depots. The stalls or depots cater for the 
requirements of the retail traders in the town concerned, but, in 
addition, travelling salesmen visit butchers in the neighbouring 
towns and villages over a wide area, and, of course, price lists 
and the telephone are freely used. It can, therefore, be said 
that these great South American organisations penetrate into 
avery part of the country. 
Dominion firms have not this vast distributive system, 
although, by means of travelling salesmen and by correspondence, 
they may be in direct touch with provincial wholesalers. No 
New Zealand firm, as such, has depts or stalls in this country. 
[n the Australian trade, two Australian firms, namely, the 
NDueensland Meat Export Co. and Messrs. Walker of Sydney, 
* The scope and nature of these markets is at present the subject of 
snquiry by the Ministry as part of a national survey of markets and 
marketing facilities, a revort on which will be published in this series in 
{ue course.