The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-10-08
The Meat supply Of the British
Market.

The meat supply Of the British
Market.
We find in late number of the Chi
cago Tribune an interesting letter from
Muscatine, Iowa, signed Samuel Sinnatt,
upon the <above subject. He makes
some interesting suggestions. He says:
"The prevalence of pleuro-pneumonia
and the foot-and-mouthd disease amongst
the cattle ON the Continent of Europe
and the British Islands was the means
Of greatly reducing the stock on hand,
by slaughtering so many cattle for the
purpose of eradicating the disease con.
sequently the price Of meat advanced,
till the desires Of holders to realize fore
ed the young and half-developed ami
mails into the market at the ruinous
cost of the future supply. The natural
consequence was, that that portion of
the merchants who had charge of that
department were forced to look else
where for their supply of meat. The
introduction Of Australian canned meats
gave a temporary relief, and the
trade rose rapidly in Importance. In
1867 there were fifty cases sent to Lon
don as an experiment; but so great has
become the demand, and SO rapidly has
the trade increased, that it is only nec-
essary to give the importatlons from
Melbourne into London alone for the
first five months of the present year, to
show its importance. There was re-
ceived in January, 1874, 6,4lO cases;
February, 6,4l8; March, 6,267; April,
1858; May, $50; total for five months.
39,390 cases, or about 1870 tons. Now
it must be remembered that that was
the traffic between only two ports. The
Melbourne Argus, in a recent article.
states that many Of the meat-preserv-
ing companies have been obliged to sus-
pend operations. owing to the rapid ad-
vance in the price Of stock, consequent
ly increasing the price of meat. The
same paper quotes beef at i'd to Sd per
h.; mutton 2 I'D to sd per h.; pork.
I'd to Cd per h.; fowls, IS per pair, etc.,
etc.
Mr.. Sinnatt proceeds to argue that
the Western United States should COM
pete with Australia for this market.
He says:
England must look to the American
Continent for her supply of meat, and
now is the time for Chicago to secure
her share of so vast and profitable a
branch of commerce, as the absence of
contagious diseases amongst our cattle
places us in very favorable position
to fill the demands Of the market. But,
to enter that market successfully. we
must put up our meats to suit the de-
mand. We must put up small hogs,
under 200 lbs, and the meat should be
cut and packed after the Irish fashion.
1t would pay to import pack
ers for that purpose. | send you some
papers with this, wherein you will find
the quotations of American bacon from
25 to so per cent. below those Of Irish
bacon. Now, there is no good reason
for this, as our meats are as good as
theirs, but it is not put up to suit that
market.
Another point would like to call at
tention to is the putting Up of lard
for the British market. There it is al
ways nut up in beef -bladders, and in
that shape commands the highest price
in the market. No matter how nice
the package you may put lard into. it
will not bring as high price as that
put into bladders. Now, when we take
into consideration the immense demand
for meats to supply such market as
London. and the rapid increase of price
in that market within the last quarter
of century, and the fact that, owing
to the vast manufacturing enterprises
Of England, that demand exists all over
the Kingdom, we may form some esti-
mate of the Importance of the immense
importation that is necessary to supply
so great deficiency as there is said to
exist at the present time.
When we can turn our National
Grange to practical account we will
have it furnish US with information and
suggestions upon this and kindred top
les. In the mean time let us hear from
our farmer friends upon this point.
Why cannot our Grand Master, Mr..
Parsons. write to our Consuls in Lon
don and Liverpool. and place himself in
communication with leading. reliable
merchants, and in the name of the State
Grange, ascertain what prices will be
paid for our meats, properly prepared ;
the cost of transportation, what amount
can be contracted for, and then inform
the subordinate Oranges accordingly.
And if Mr.. Parsons cannot or will not
attend to this, what subordinate Grange
will move in the matter If beef has
risen in Australia to 8 and Is cents per
pound, and pork to IA and Is cents per
pound, by wholesale, in the hands 81
the farmers, in consequence Of the Brit
ish demand, why should not hinnesota
enter the lists!
Our first want. in all these matters,i il
direct and cheap Connection with tht
great markets Of the world
Flour is going eastward via Lake