WORLD MEAT CENTRE

Evening Star, Issue 23175, 26 January 1939, Page 1

WORLD MEAT CENTRE

FAMOUS SMITHFIELD MARKET 1’ amous Smithfield Market, principal moat receiving and selling centre of the world, and destination of so much of the meat exported from this country, has an interesting history. A pamp'ht lot brought back by Air L. C. Rolls, manager of Alessrs Wiliams and Kettla Ltd.. Napier, who visited the marked at Smithfield during his recent touij abroad, contains much that is of inter-, est, as the following extracts willshow : > hour out of every five carcasses off mutton and lamb exported to England from Australia and New Zealand and half the exports of South American; mutton and lamb were landed in Lon-, don last year. Two-thirds of the total quantity of chilled beef exported to> England from South America and nearly the same percentage of Australian and New Zealand frozen beef exports were also landed in London last year The Central Alarkets at Smithfield are, and always have been, the print cipal centre for the sale and distribut tion of the surplus meat and poultry}' supplies of Great Britain and Ireland/ the dominions, France, South America, and other countries. Cold stores on the ifc-omises and adjacent have capacity of 15,000 tons, or, say, 600,000| carcasses of mutton.

The following information relative to Smithfield is of interest to farmers and l the community generally: Wat Tyler, who rebelled against that caption tax, was slain at Smithfield by Sir William Walworth, the Lord Mayor* of London, in the presence of Richard 11. in 1381.

■For centuries it was the play, archcry, and tournament field of the citizens, and the recpgnised place of public executions.

During the reign of Mary I. it became infamous' as the scene of that; burnings of some of the Protestant' martyrs.

Two hundred people during- the four}years ending 1558 perished in the flame*; for religious opinion. 4 A cattle market was held from that early part of the twelfth century ini “ Smobthfield ” then a pleasant*- 1 grassy, level space lying' between the site of St. Bartholomew’s’Hospital and the present market buildings. ; The cattle market—its shambles and’ meat shops in adjacent streets—Newgate Street Market in particular, lasted, until June. 1855. K

Long before then it had become an'* intolerable nuisance to the public. Parliament interfered, and the cattla market was removed to a SDecially laid out market and system of slaughter* houses at Islington, some two miles north of-Smithfieldritid opened b? the corporation in 1555 •* ' '•jpnly tfcjv. fitent and a few slaughterhouses remained in'tho vicinity of Smithfiold. The slaughterhouses were fradually 1 I abolished, and the business of Newgate and other meat shons was transferred to the first two sections of the present ■ market, which opened for trade in December. 1868- _ With the growth of business, addi-' tional sections were erected, and opened.; in 1875, 1889. 1593, and 1899. AREA OF 10 ACRES. The whole, together with the surrounding roadways, occupy a space of about 10 from east ten west. The total cost of acquiring the land/ laying out the site, erecting and fitting up the buildings for the 'purpose of a dead meat market was £2,000,000. The resort of every type of buyer and seller; 10,000 tons of meat and poultry received and sold every week. The wholesale value of supplies through Smithfield exceeds £35,000,000 annually.

Oyer 5,000 tons of produce have been received, sold, and despatched in one day. The hanging or display capacity of | the_ market is over 9,000 tons daily. Smithfield's shops contain over 15 miles of display rails, and the shop frontages aggregate nearly two miles. The meat hooks at Smithfield flared end-on would reach 45 miles. Thirty entrance gates expedite th» delivery of goods. Four hundred four-ton lorries can b» • hacked in for unloading at one time. : and the whole unloaded within one hour..; by the 1,700 market porters. The internal businesss of the market', gives employment to 7,000. , : : Electric band saws are used in cut- ' ting meat. Hydraulic lifts connect witK-'-the railway system and cold stores under--** the market. ''' The market forms the most get-at- ;, able centre by rail, bus, tube, and road i.; in the metropolis. ' *,•,■