162
CREFELD.
Meat.
The following table gives the total consumption of fresh meat in Crefeld
for the two years 1904-5 and 1905-6 : it includes animals slaughtered in the
municipal slaughter-house, and animals slaughtered outside the town but
brought to the slaughter house for inspection, as all meat intended to be sold in
the town must be locally inspected :—
Oxen and Bullocks
Cows
Young cattle
Calves
Sheep
Goats
Swine
Spanish swine
Horses
1904-5
1905-6
1,452
9,511
1,045
5,881
2,826
553
34,633
137
517
1,012
9,867
1,382
6,920
3,201
537
31,663
75
596
The meat consumption of the working classes would appear to be very
unequal. The ordinary weaver is stated to have fresh meat at most twice a
week, but this, whilst undoubtedly due in part to the high price, is also an effect
of the national fondness for sausage, the better qualities of which are, however,
but little cheaper than good butcher’s meat. Nevertheless, the consumption of
meat indicated by returns of weekly expenditure under this head by 206
working-class families, representing 911 persons, reached the substantial total of
2¿ lb. per head weekly, or at the rate of 117*7 lb. annually. Of this, 33 per
cent, was pork and bacon, 33 per cent, was beef, and 26 per cent, sausage.
As this last commodity is for the most part made of pork, it will be seen
how large a part the pig plays in the meat diet of the working-classes. The
general price of pork in October, 1905, was about Id. per lb. higher than that
of beef, viz., 9|d. against 8§d., except leg and chops in the case of pork, which
cost 11 d., and beefsteak, which cost from 11 d. to 1.9. Id. From 8§d. to 9\d.
was also the price of most cuts of mutton and veal, of which, however, the
working classes eat but little.
The prices ruling at the same month of 1906 were in general over
Id. per lb. higher, and the increase affected the prices of 'the numerous kinds
of sausage which form a large part of the food of the working-classes. The
following are the kinds of sausage mostly eaten, with the prices per lb. :—
Liver sausage (made of pig’s liver), inferior qualities, 4\d. to 5\d. ; ditto,
best qualities, 8\d. to 9\d. ; blood sausage (made of pig’s blood, bacon fat,
herbs, and sometimes meal), inferior qualities, 4^&, better qualities, 8fd. ;
“ Flock ” sausage (usually beef), Is. Id. ; “ Mett ” sausage (the same, but
of inferior quality and sometimes different make), lie?, and Is.. Rolled bacon
costs Is. 4^d., but bacon sold in shops other than those of butchers is usually
somewhat cheaper.
The following Table shows the predominant prices paid for meat by the
working-classes in October, 1905, and in September, 1907. It will be seen
that on the later date the prices of beef, pork and veal had fallen back to, or
even slightly lower than, the level of October, 1905, whilst the prices of mutton
showed an advance :—
