arrives at the retailer's shop in its brightest condition. The 
circumstances of the trade, however, prevent this method from 
being applied to all frozen supplies; in the first place, demand 
is uncertain, and, secondly, killing in several sources of supply 
is seasonal—which, of itself, necessitates storage, if supplies are 
to be evenly spread over the year. 
Since 1914, cold storage accommodation in Great Britain 
and Ireland has increased considerably, owing to war require- 
ments, and now amounts to over 45 million cubic feet, of which 
about 73 per cent. is available for meat storage. The principal 
sold stores are situated at the meat ports, the capacity at which, 
as given in the Report of the Royal Commission on Food Prices, 
is approximately as follows :— 
cu. ft. 
London - 17,495,000 
Liverpool - 7,913,000 
Manchester 3,630,000 
Glasgow  - 2,881,000 
Southampton 1,859,000 
Bristol - 1 850,000 
Cardiff - 937,000 
Hull - - 300,000 
Newcastle - 580,000 
Accommodation is also available at a number of provincial 
centres, of which the most extensive is at Birmingham, where 
the capacity is returned as approximately 797,000 cubic feet. 
Owners of cold stores comprise dock authorities, municipal 
authorities, the Union Cold Storage Company, several smaller 
sompanies, and a number of individuals. 
The accommodation is far in excess of peace requirements; 
a number of cold stores have been closed for some time, whilst 
thers have been working considerably below capacity. The 
tendency to store in the producing countries, for the purpose of 
regulating shipments of frozen goods, and the increase in the ratio 
of chilled to frozen beef consumed have each reduced the demand 
for storage accommodation. Since 1923, the small mutton and 
lamb shipments from Australia have had a similar effect. 
Carcases reaching cold store from a ship are placed in a 
chamber ‘ piled to marks,” 7.e., stacked according to the various 
marks to indicate quality and weight which are stencilled on 
sach carcase-cover. This arrangement facilitates selling and 
drawing from store. Goods are ‘ weighed in” only on request 
and at extra charge, and usually only when a seller has reason 
to believe that his bill-of-lading weights are inaccurate, or when 
he desires to be clear of any claim for short weight directly the 
goods are landed. Goods are always weighed as they leave the 
store, the proprictors issuing to the owners a weight note, giving 
the marks, the name of the ship from which the meat was 
received. and the total weight of the carcases drawn.