AACHEN.
51
The cattle killed for food come in part from the surrounding districts, but
also from the Cologne market and from Denmark. The veal is almost wholly of
local origin. The sheep come from all parts of the country, and ultimately
reach the Aachen abattoir through the hands of a single large dealer, who
acts as general receiver. The pigs slaughtered come largely from the
Cologne and Hamburg markets, but also from the adjacent district. It is a
peculiarity of the meat trade here that pork in all forms is almost exclusively
retailed by special pork butchers, so that such a thing as a piece of pork, or
even a sausage, is hardly ever seen in an ordinary butcher’s shop. Workingclass
families eat, for the most part, beef and pork, and invariably cuts from
the cheapest joints. Of the total meat consumption shown by the food returns
above referred to 43 per cent, consisted of beef, 37 per cent, of pork and bacon,
5 per cent, of veal, which is too dear for the working-man’s table, and 2 per
cent, of mutton, which is not held in esteem, and 12 per cent., an unusually
small proportion, of sausage. In October, 1905, the price of beef ranged
from 7fd. to 9Jd. per lb., except steak, which cost Is. Id., and is not bought
by working people. Pork cost from 8fd. to Is. 1 d. The price of mutton
ranged from 7|¡d. to lie?., and of veal from 9|d. to lit?. Small purchases
are the rule, for the housewife buys from day to day just the quantity needed
for the midday meal ; for other meals, when meat is taken, sausage of the
cheaper kinds, bought a few slices at a time, has to serve.
Predominant prices paid by the working classes in October, 1905,
and May, 1906.
Description of Cut.
Predominant Price per lb.
October, 1905.
May, 1906.
Shin
Beef :—
Ribs
Silverside
with bone
without bone
Steak ... ... ...
Flank
Mutton :—
... ... ...
Shoulder
Bi east ... ... ...
N eck ... ... ...
Chops (trimmed)
Veal :—
Hind Quarter ...
with bone
without bone
Loin ... ... ...
Pork :—
Fore Loin
Beilj ... ... ...
Spare Rib
Chops ... ... ...
Shoulder
7|d. to 81 d.
8#
7#
8§d.
9fd.
8 £d.
9#
Is. Id.
7#
9fd. to lid.
8§d.
9%d.
7K
7fd. to 91d.
lid. to Is. Id.
9fd. to lid.
9¿d
Is. Id.
lid.
9%d.
Is. to Is. Id.
9|d. to lid.
8%d. „ 9#d.
lid. to Is. Id.
7|d. to 8|d.
8 Id.
9 Id.
7# „ 8#
9#
Is. Id.
7|d.
lid.
9fd. to 9|d.
7# „ 8%d.
8%d.
lid. to Is. Id.
lid.
9\d. to lid.
Is. Id. „ Is. 2fd.
lid.
9id. to lid.
9§d.
8%d.
lid.
It is possible to trace the average retail prices of certain kinds of meat for a
series of years, on the basis of the weekly or monthly quotations collected by
the Municipal Market Committee :—
Average y earl o retail prices of certain kinds of Meat.
1897.
Beef :—
Le%
Belly
Pork
Veal
M utton
Smoked bacon
d.
1
7|
7*
1898.
d.
I
1899.
1900.
d.
8
i
d.
?
91
81
?
1901.
1902.
d.
8
!
d.
1
a
1903.
1901.
1905.
d.
9 .
P
81
8&
d.
:i
94
9“
81
d.
9
7
10%
91
Si
a 2
29'JSf<