The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-16

GAsTMONOMlsAL REFORM.
High Cast Of LivIns@Frices Of Meats ANA
NbarAet supplies,


arAet supplies,
great deal has been written and said Of late
about the uureasonably high price Of market
supplies, especially OF fresh meat. In this city.
Various reasons are assigned therefor, which do
not appear 10 us 10 be based on sound principles
or established facts. without clear perception
Of the real causes OF this just complaint Of the
desrneas, or inadequate supply Of food for the
people, little benefit 10 the way OF reform can be
expected nom nuoh discussions.
Let ia penetrate beyond these superficial
causes assigned and zee II there are not others,
which bear far more controlling agency In
producing these results. and which II Ia within
our power TO remove and reform. without infring-
ing upon the principles Of freedom Of trade and the
meritable lave OF our political and social organi
cations.
Among the unaHuailable causes assigned, we
may mention tho high price Of food Rs the
most prominent one. which an experienced
butcher cites in the Times 40 the all controlling
one Of the high price OF fresh beef, to wit: the
high price for cattle demanded by the importer
or shipper. or course, with the immense co ~
petition of tho consumers OF Texas beef, extend
ing through the whole country. ve cannot OK.
poet to regulate the price OF cattle. Tn, only
reduction Of tho prices which they command in
other maj kete which we can reasonably oalcu-
late upon, ID in The cost OF transportation.
Owing 10 the lack of competition in Transports
ton We cannot look for large reduction in that
item When we have more limos and agencies
for transportation. we may realize this relief
The cost of transporting cattle by the only
means now at our command, powerful mono
poly. instead Of being less 10 reality exceeds that
Of their transportation 10 distant markets, whore
the demand IL as great, If not greater, for fresh
meat than II Is here.
II Ia not necessary that we should dwell upon
no obvious an impossibity m that Of reducing or
regulating the price Of cattle. Nor would tho
suggestion that our farmers and planters turn
their attention to the raising Of cattle afford any
70 lief fro mthis operation OF the free trade prn-
cip,e. Admitting that our State IL adapted TO
the grazing and raising OF cattle rs proftably as
Texar. their value would still be controlled by the
prices they could command in other markets.
There would BIO tho additional bjecton 10 this,
as remedy, that u would involve the diversion
| Of capital, care and labor, from other pursuits
which may be found more profitable. and in the
|
| Bile competition than in the grazing and cattle
raising business.
So the remedy and relief from high priced
| food do not lie In this direction.
| But, whence can we hope to obtain such relief
or modification of the relief complained OH
| We can perceive no other relief for this burden
except in the reduction Of the consumption OF
| fresh meat, the substitution OF cheaper and
equally wholesome articles OF food, and in the
| abolition of the taxes and restrictions imposed
by uuwise legislation upon the freedom Of sup
NV and OF trade, in all the articles of food con-
sumed by the be ople. The frat change depends
unon change Of habits, which the experience Of
other people has shown to be practicable and
beneficial
MANY OF the hardest and most healthy of the
races Of the old world, subsist chic fly upon vege-
| table and fish food. Those inhabiting semi.
tropical regions almost exclusively live upon such
food. The ancient Greeks and Romans rarely in
dulged in animal food. The beef which is now
regarded as indispensable to the proper develop.
nent, physically morally and Intellectually oi
the Saxon, was forbidden even to the luxurious
Roman. Its use was introdu ed into England by
the Normans, who sprsng rom the same stocR
as the Saxons. The native Britons were nourish
ed exclusively with vegetable fish and tactical food
And even ut the present, or at least very re-
cent, period, the descendants OF the races which
: held the British Isles before the Norman inva
zion were content with the came kind OF food
rarely seeking or ring animal food.
II Il may be- admitted that poverty has necessi