Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-01-24
INCREASE IN TIE COST oF Food

Law tIea LOsllug A3I SOul5 tlulS 50 Falt4aolC
to our country readers, ard 80 deserving Of SUI
died perussI as the following lengthy extract from
al article under the above head in ihs New York
Tribune Some Of the same facts have already
been given through our psPsr, but the form and
cOnnezion in which they are presented require
that they should be read again. We trust our
farmers, especially, will carefully read it:
It nav be considered as one Of the most serious ques
lions in the political economy Of the United States that
Notwithstanding the infancy Of the nation compared with
the venerable empires OF the old continent, and the new
and natural fertility Of its soil the price OF human
food particularly thst Of animal preduct has been grad
uay increasing for long series ofyears In other words
the miner Of gold silver "copper" iron lead or coal OF the
nOiAe4 ~ any A1sNA1' P'O1'1'9I A-N' -
y Of them now for his necessary supply OF mestthan ne
ever gave before taking the average Of any decade OF years
since America began 10 be civilized nation.
With the exception Of occasional spasnodic advances
or depresons below the line the upward tendency Of the
prics Of OOdprOdueing animals in the United States IS
JUS as regular and certain as the inclined plane OF any
railway from the seabOaTC to the interior.
Now that the present prices are not spasmodic nor al
butable to the ordinary fluctuations of trade TO the
short crops any year. to The increased foreign de-
mand to the diversion Of trade in cattle IN any unu'
sual direction to unusual abort supply for this
year. increase Of clrcu ting medium, we think
shall be able 10 shoY According to the opinion oil
good judges and Of long experience, the general aY
eage price Of beeves sheep and swine in november and
December has ranged high throughout the cOun-
has this Inc general quallty mas neVr
ranged higher in this city, while the numbers weekly re-
ported will prove most al ldsnt supply. Then what is
the cause of the continued ana gradual advancement OF
price? and is it likely TO be permanent will the day
come when shall return to the good old tines Of
CD zap roast beef and when the ordinary fluctuations in
trade shall establish corresponding prices with those
have sed2 These are important questions and We know
that many persons consider the present prices Of meals
eXorbiRnt and unreasonable, simply because they
much higher than they have been accustomed TO- without
thinking they only as the work OF "specua.
tors and that so only that work the price will
| run down the scale to the old standard
In that they will be disappointed. Nests in the United
States will again be sUld as general thing at the
prices We hlve quoted in this article, and the reason
which we shall give is that merchant pOit cal
economist will dispute, because Is based upon that fun
damental ue-the existing relation OF demand and sup
ply. The demand in any markettOwn in the country
clnnOt remain single month IN such relation to the sup
plyas materially to Increase the price, without bringing
from the IemOtes district, such suppy-snd 1t IS aston
ishing how rapidly the animals slide dOwn the inclined
plane from the mountains and plains OF the interior
tha the pie becomes equazed less the cost OF transit
all over the country. Then why don't we get our 0eei
and pork and mutton cheaper is the question naturally
arising in every mind which does not trace effect TO III
| eIuSe.
The law of demand and supply is an arbitrary one
aud the supply Of beeEcae mutton sheep, and attec
swine beyond the reach and control Of any sPeeulaoI
company Of spectators; and certainly none exists who
| have produced the present prices.
Why then has the price for series Of years continued
in general regular progression up the scale! 1t cal
only be accounted for by the fact that there has been
regular dminuOn in the supply, until the natural Law
has iEcred the price, and the next question of any i'm
POrtance is whether that dIminuton Is pertinent and
, so, why sOY
We do not mean to be understood that there is a res
dminutiOn Of oOdprOju,ng animals but only relative
to the The case is just this man and
his wife, in commencing life, lated and killed one hos
every fall for their supply Of winter meat and the sup
ply sufficient for lhs demand But in due course
lime there increase of mouths till the number
be ed was quadruped and thsB the hog insult
fcien for them all and if they had not been contsned
continue to makean equitable division OF the flesh between
-,k1a WhuWD 7rrfR Nrrff
the Other and enhanced the price in money 70 thOS
who did not it. Now, Is this the with tn
people of the United States? Has the family become tO
! large for the national pig pen?
We lay It down an axiom that domestic animals de
crease as human beings increase China Is with IS
this fact and 50 is cur country, though has no
generally been supposed that this relative dimnutiOn Ia,
taken place the United States to degree sui5 e1t
permanently affect the supply and prce OF the three grel
D iood producing class Of animals Facts derived II \
figures, which said, though somewhat hgurauvely
cannot he prove that the dminutiOu has cOmmeLced
and the ncrease Of prices further prove that the suppl
is insufficient for the demand, that the high prices
legitimate result and that they will not reoede peTul
| nently becomes moral certainty.
The increase Of population relative to the increase
animals particularly the producing class Of persons
such reside In cities engaged II other employ
meuts than farming, IS much greater than could be
eVe possible but Tor the proof Of the figures found
the census returns Again, another reason short SUI
ply for home consumption the increased expectation
all products and that is more likely to grow large
g | than 1t Is TO decrea.s,
,
increase the supply OF meat il this great emporium
constantly assuring them that good beef cattle would a
ways sell a. prices equivalent ten cents pound for III
meat and that they could better afford to make beet tina
than to grow grain at the general average prices We yer
asked lzstspri1g by one armer really believed la
beef cattle would be this price the presen fab and
cured If he could think that he would buy and feed
hundred buoCss but his opinion wasIhat the great
fall Of cattle that prices must come down On tn
coatr4T win much less pack ng the price has advance
beyond the GuCIpZtOns OF the most shrsTd men engage
IN the business lsedng and buying and selling beet a.
tie. It's hEny important tOr producers and CoDsuln
and dealers . inquire for the cause and see ia
think co that tle pEeseu: rates will cOnin1e
to base tlJir operations upon the truths they
cover 10 pr OF OF our proposition we offer tle i1Os
tables which ind ready prepared 70 our ase IA %,
r Cincinnati G1-ts article TAI InE the view
dc, that general production OF tn c5ua'ry is ~ g
cisut Tor the cJnsumpt on She people have aCC.-D a.
themselves 10 uurnga long period 0. low pIcs.-tl. as
C0mparaI-ey low with tbs IRE emf hs pres NJ hsTg
p ! with pECss l. the oder Countries UE Eur,pu.
Ine Hrst table SHOWS the United S-Jf census at e.
decades q animals ana per cent Increase Of each
+ | comparative per cent increase OF popu axiom
NUMBER INCREAsB OF CATTaE tbs UNITED states