270 
HAMBURG. 
or “ dairy” batter cost from Is. to Is. 1 d. per lb., but the working classes use 
far more margarine than butter, though much of the margarine bought is for 
cooking. The “ Production ” Co-operative Society sold in 1906 542,366 lb. of 
margarine against 351,965 lb. of butter, and the “ 1856” Co-operative Society 
sold 1,516,940 lb. of margarine against 403,476 lb. of butter. Margarine is 
sold under several names and in many qualities, but the price generally paid 
in 1905 was 6J(7. per lb. The price of milk was 2£(7. per quart. Little of the 
milk supply is delivered to the houses ; it is mostly fetched from the dairy 
shops and the provision dealers who keep this article. The two large co-operative 
societies had in 1906 a daily sale of nearly 440 gallons. 
Many kinds of cheese are bought. The general classification is into 
“ hard ” and “ soft ” cheese, the former being as a rule sold by weight and the 
latter by the piece. The working classes chiefly eat the Dutch and Tilsit kinds, 
the former costing from 9^<7. to 11(7. per lb., and the latter from 7\d. to 8f,(7. 
Swiss cheese, for which there is a more limited demand, cost from 11(7. ¡to Is. 1(7., 
and Limburg cheese 6(7. As a rule small quantities, to the extent of from Id. to 
3(7., are bought at once. 
Coal is the fuel usually burned, and English small nuts are largely bought. 
The qualities usually bought cost in October, 1905, from 11^(7. to Is. 0^(7. per 
cwt., but the Hamburg working man frequently does not store much coal at once, 
owing in part to the absence of cellar accommodation, but buys in small 
quantities of an “Eimer” or two (the “Eimer” holding from 15 to 20 lb.). 
When so purchasing he pays from Is. 4(7. per cwt. upwards. Coke cost from 
Is. 0\d. to Is. 1J(7. per cwt. As a rule small coal is used with briquettes, the 
latter costing from 9^(7. to Is. per 100, and the kitchen stove can be kept going 
for from 3J(7. to 4J<7. per day. The paraffin oil chiefly used is American, 
costing 8J(7. to 8f(7. per gallon. 
The following statement, showing the fluctuation of prices during a period 
of five years, relates to staple commodities sold by the “ 1856 ” Co-operative 
Society, which does a very large working-class trade in its 37 provision shops, 
distributed over the town and suburbs :— 
Retail Prices of Commodities in December of each Year. 
1901. 
1902. 
1903. 
1904. 
1905. 
1906. 
4id. 
5 id. 
Bid. 
lOd. 
1«. Id. 
2\d. 
2 id. 
2¡d. 
2*d. 
2jd. 
S*d. 
Is. 0id. 
Ill d. 
?*d. 
1«. 3fd. 
Is. l^d. 
Is Oid. 
9%d. 
lid. 
lid. 
Bread, Rye 
„ Fine 
Flour, Rye, Coarse 
,, ,, Fine... 
„ Wheat, Best 
"Sugar, Loaf 
„ Refined, Granulated 
„ Cube 
Potatoes, “ Egg ” 
„ “ Magnum Bonum ” 
Cheese, Tilsit 
Sausage, Brunswick Cervelat 
„ ,, Bed (I) 
„ ,, » (H) 
„ Coarse “ Mett ” (I) 
„ „ » (II) 
Cassel Spare Rib ... 
Bacon, Fat 
„ Lean and Belly ... 
Tinned Meat, German ... 
per 4 lb. 
per 7 lb. 
per lb. 
per 7 lb. 
per lb. 
4 id. 
5 d. 
7%d. 
9id. 
L?. Oid, 
3*d. 
3 Jd. 
4d. 
7jd. 
Is. 0\d. 
7|d. 
Hid. 
9*d. 
94 d. 
4d. 
5d. 
7fd. 
9id. 
Hid. 
3i d. 
3i d. 
3*d. 
3d. 
2\d. 
7*d. 
llfd. 
10id. 
7|d. 
Is. l^d. 
Hid. 
lOjd. 
9%d. 
9|d. 
9id. 
4d. 
5d. 
7|d. 
9id. 
Hid. 
2id. 
2&d. 
2*d. 
2\d. 
2\d. 
7fd. 
lid. 
10id. 
7fd. 
Is. Id. 
lid. 
lOd. 
Bid. 
Bid. 
9id. 
4d. 
5d. 
7fd. 
9id. 
Is. Oid. 
2|d. 
2\d. 
2|d. 
3*d. 
2i d. 
7fd. 
lid. 
10id. 
6id. 
Is. 0|d. 
lid. 
lOd. 
8d. 
8d. 
94d. 
4d. 
5 d. 
Bid. 
9¿d. 
Is. Oid. 
2id. 
2i d. 
2id. 
2*d. 
2d. 
7*d. 
llfd. 
H|d. 
7id. 
Is. 3id. 
Is. lid. 
Is. 0|d. 
9%d. 
lid. 
10id. 
* The heavy fall in the price of sugar in 1903 was due to the operation of the Brussels Convention.