Cost of living in German towns

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 866449027

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-93831

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Cost of living in German towns

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Stat. Off.

Year of publication:: 1908

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (LXI, 548 Seiten)

Collection:: Economics Books

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LEIPZIG. 313 A rough calculation based on these figures shows that beef has risen about 21 per cent., and pork—the staple flesh food of the people—from 17 to 20 per cent., in price in the nine years covered by the Table. It will be seen that the rise in price since 1904 has been remarkable. The estimates as to the consumption of meat in Leipzig in each of the years 1902-1905, based on the municipal slaughter-house returns, are as follows Pork Beef ... ... ... ,, Mutton Meat preparations imported Total 1902. lbs. 593 49-2 16T 7-8 5 5* 137-9 Per capita Consumption. 1903. 1901. lbs. 693 44 9 15-1 7-4 5-5* 142-2 lbs. 77-7 47-8 17-0 6-8 55* 154-7 1905. lbs. 683 46-2 15-9 7-3 5-5* 143-2 * According to an official estimate. It would appear, therefore, that to every 100 lbs. of meat consumed in 1902 there were consumed 103T lbs. in 1903, 112 2 lbs. in 1904, and 103*8 lbs. in 1905. It will be noticed that the increased consumption between 1902 and 1904 is entirely due to pork, of which the best quality fell 17 and the second quality 19 per cent, in price in those two years. Similarly, the greater part of the decline in meat consumption in 1905, as compared with the previous year, was due to pork, of which the price has risen by 27 per cent, for the first and by 30 per cent, for the second quality. The per capita consumption of meat as stated above falls somewhat short of the actual consumption, for no account has been taken of poultry and game, of which the consumption must be considerable, if one may judge by the quantities exhibited for sale in the shops and at the market. Horseflesh has also been omitted from this calculation, and it is worthy of note in connection with the great rise in meat prices in 1905 that the consumption of horseflesh in Leipzig in that year amounted to 817 tons, or 247 tons more than the year before. The sale of this kind of meat in Leipzig is confined to six shops where no other kinds of meat may be sold. It may be assumed that the reduction of meat consumption which has been seen to have accompanied a rise in the price of meat is for the most part effected among the working-class portion of the population, who undoubtedly eat a much smaller quantity of meat per head than that shown to be consumed by the population as a whole. Returns furnished for the purpose of the present inquiry by 197 typical working-class families in Leipzig with various grades of income showed an average weekly consumption per head of a little over 21^ ounces a week, which would be equal to approximately 70 lbs. a year. Of this amount 32 per cent, was beef, 29 per cent, sausage (mainly pork), and 22 per cent, pork and bacon. The predominant retail prices of various cuts of meat in Leipzig at October, 1905, and September, 1906, are shown in the subjoined table based upon data obtained at 18 butchers’ shops in different parts of the town, including nine such shops owned by the principal workmen’s co-operative society. 2 R 29088

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