314

LEIPZIG.

Predominant  Prices  paid  by  the  Working  Classes  in  October,  1905,  and
September,  1906.

Description  of  Cut.

Predominant  Price  per  lb.

October,  1005.

September,  1906.

Shin

Beef  :—
Ribs
Silverside
j  with  bone
I  without  bone
Steak
'«  Flank
Mutton  :—
Lb^  ...  ...
Shoulder
Breast
Neck
Chops
Veal  :—
Hindquarter
j  with  bone
(  wi

Shoulder

without  bone

Shin
Loin»
Chops
Pork  :—
Leg
Foreloin  .,
Bèlly
Spare  Rib
Chops

9|d.

8|(/.  to  8|d
‘  „  H  d.
7  d,  „  9fd
8|d.  „  lid
9#
81d  to  8|d
8|d
8^d
9^d

8fc?.
8^d
8|d

9W.
8|d
Not  sold.
§\d.
9fd  to  lid

8|d
8|d

9#
9#

8#d
9|d  to  lid
lid

9\d.  to  9|d
Is.
8^d  to  9|d
9|d  „  Is.
lid  to  Is.  Id
8|d  to  9|d
lid
9^d  to  9|d
9;jd
9¿d
9Jd  to  lid
lid
9|d
Not  sold.
7#
lid

9|d  to  lid
9fd  „  lid
9|d
lid
lid

In  considering  the  above  prices  it  has  to  be  remembered  that  they  relate  in
many  cases  to  cuts  with  which  neither  the  local  butcher  nor  his  customers  are
familiar  ;  e.g.,  silverside  and  shin  of  beef,  shoulder,  neck  and  breast  of  mutton.
Except  when  buying  a  chop  or  a  steak,  the  working-class  customer  asks  for  so
much  beef  or  pork,  mutton  or  veal,  without  reference  to  the  portion  of  the
carcass  from  which  it  is  to  be  cut,  and  merely  stating  whether  it  is  intended  for
boiling  or  for  roasting.  Most  of  the  meat  bought,  even  by  middle-class  families,
is  intended  for  boiling,  and  for  that  purpose  flank  of  beef  or  belly  of  pork  is
most  in  demand.  It  would  probably  not  be  possible  to  obtain  beef,  mutton,
veal  cr  pork  anywhere  in  Leipzig  at  prices  much  lower  than  those  given  in  the
Table,  except  by  going  to  the  municipal  meat  stall  (Freibank),  where  the  flesh
of  animals  which  have  failed  to  pass  the  meat  inspectors  is  sold  after  being
treated  (by  boiling  or  otherwise)  in  a  manner  intended  to  render  it  safe  for
human  consumption.  In  1904,  the  most  recent  year  for  which  figures  are
available,  272  tons  of  this  inferior  meat  (including  189  tons  of  beef  and  68  tons
of  pork)  were  sold  at  the  two  municipal  meat  stalls.  The  highest  price  charged
for  beef  was  Id.  per  lb.  raw,  and  4|d.  per  lb.  boiled.  With  boiled  beef  a
certain  amount  of  the  liquor  resulting  from  the  boiling  is  supplied  gratis.  The
lowest  price  for  beef,  whether  boiled  or  raw,  was  3\d.  per  lb.  at  the  Freibank.
Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  consumption  of  horse-flesh  in
Leipzig,  and  it  only  remains  to  add  that  the  retail  prices  of  this  class  of  meat
range  from  bd.  to  7d.  per  lb.  according  to  the  cut.
Prices  in  Leipzig  are  at  about  the  same  general  level  as  in  Berlin.  Representing ­
  the  latter  by  100,  the  index  number  for  the  price  of  meat  in  Leipzig
is  111  ;  for  other  food,  98  ;  for  food  as  a  whole,  101  ;  for  coal,  100  ;  and  for  all
commodities,  101.  The  result  of  combining  this  figure  with  that  for  rent  is  91
(compared  with  Berlin  =  100).