Prices of beet and mutton in Shanghai have registered a 100 per ent. Increase, according to an official of the Shanghai Butchers' Association. Formerly sold at ten or twenty cents, 'a pound of mutton or beef now costs thirty or forly cents.
'The Increase, according to the oficial, resulted from the beginning of this year, Meats, he said, were in great damand at Tsing. tao,' presumably for exportation t> Japan, "Most of the cattle from Shontung, Honan, and Anhwei had been sent to Tsingtao, and the number 200,000 a year in former years. was, expected {o be reduced to 00,000 or: 70,000.
'Sheep, continued the official, came from Hangchow, Huchow and' seven for eight other districts in Chekiane. The shortage was caused by demand for the skin of unborn lamb, which was being sold at a much higher price than a sheep. Formerly, 7,000 to 8,000 sheep were brought to Shanghai a month, This number had been reduced to 3,500 to 4,000, he said.
In view of the seriousness of the situation, the Chekiang Provinclat Government has prohibited the killing sheep for the purpose of securing the skins of unborn lambs.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.