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A. The present cost price is $11 a picul, formerly sheep could be bought for $8
a picul.
Q.-At whose risk are they brought to Hongkong?
A.--At the Shanghai dealer's risk.
Q. Can any one obtain sheep from Shanghai ?
A. Yes, any one.
Q.-What is the gross profit of animals imported and slaughtered for food?
A.-14 per cent.
Q.--Who is in charge of the scales and weights in the Market?
A. The Police.
Q. How do you ascertain the prices of the articles in the Market? A.-I get the prices from the butchers.
Q. How many pigs are slaughtered daily?
A.-350 to 400.
Q. How many pork-butchers are there in the Colony ?
A.-200 to 300.
Q.-Is there any guild in connection with the meat supply?
A. Yes, a butcher's guild.
Q. How does the fact that meat can only be sold in the Market, affect the supply? A. I do not think it has any effect upon the supply.
Q.-From what places are swine imported ?
A.-Huifong, Canton, Hoihow, Pakhoi.
Q. In case of a blockade, how long would the food supply of Hongkong last?
A.-Four months.
Q. From what place or places would this four months' supply come? A.-The New Territory and Hongkong.
Q.-What is the price of pigs?
A.-Those from Huifong, Hongkong and the New Territory are sold at $16 per picul, while those which come from Hoihow are sold at $12 per picul.
Q. How is it that the Hongkong pigs fetch $16 a picul while those from Hoihow are only worth $12 ?
A. This is caused by the inferior folder given to the pigs which come from Hoihow.
Q-Are the Market charges for both kinds of pork the same?
A. Yes.
Q. Can pigs be bred in the New Territory?
A. Yes.
Q. What kind of food would be given to them in the New Territory?
A.-Slops, sweet potatoes and pea nut vine leaves.
Q. Which are the best places for breeding pigs in the New Territory?
A. In the Saikung district to the East of Kowloon City.
Q. Is there any inconvenience in taking the pigs to the Market from the New Territory?
A.-No.