The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1881-02-05
Live Stock and Leather.

leather enough, by vast amount,
TO supply our wants. During the
year ending June 30th last, there
were imported into this country
raw hides valued at nearly 30,0e0,-
600. and leather valued at nearly
$l2,O00,000. During the same
time we exported hides and leather
valued at $7,OO0,O00. Here is a.
difference of $35,0O0,O0O paid to
foreign countries during the last
fiscal year; and it is shown by the
returns that the consumption Of
leather of all DESCRIPTIONS increases
every wear, while the sources of
supply are no greater than they
were a score OF more of years ago.
Aside from the increase in our
population, there are several PROM
inent causes for the rapid increase
of this consumption. Shoes made
from cloth of different kinds are
not worn as much as fermerly; al
all events their use has not kept
pace with the increase of popula-
ton. At the south the demand
for boots and shoes has very large
ly increased within the decade Just
past, and the Indian has fallen
rapidly into the fashion among the
whites, by throwing away his moe
casins, while thousands of foreign
ers seeking our shores have drop
ped their sabots for leather foot
wear. The largely increased de-
TnaRd for harness, growing out Of
the use Of horses on SO MANY
farms where oXeE were employed
fifteen and twenty years ago, fur
sishes additional reason for the
notably increased consumption Of
leather of late years. These are
some of the causes which are
operating to produce the increased
consumption of leather.
1t NAV be asked, what this has
to do with live stock, or how ii af-
fects that interest. 1t has an init
mate connection with il and at the
same time affects, very materially,
the industries and wealth Of the
couEtry in other directions. Of
the value of the hides sent across
the ocean we can form no definite
estimate for the approximate num-
Der of beasts exported is not at
hand; but that it is immense is
known to all. These hides, or
their equivalent in Others, or in
leather we are obliged to import,
and many more besides. 1t is a
question, after ali, whether in sche-
duliRg the United States under
Its foreign diseases act, the British
government did not blindly do us
a favor in disguise and itself AN
injury IN more directions than one.
simply to appease the clamor of
its farming interests. So far as
hardship to American farmers and
shippers is concerned by the
sweeping order of the Privy coun-
ell, that action is not relieved by
any remote mitigating circumstan-
ces, or ultimate advantage to US:
and if we fail to take advantage
of them the fault is our own.
Looking at the subject in all of its
bearings, the important inquiry
confronts US whether it would not
b to our advantage to ship dead
meat altogether by one or more OF
the systems of cold storage, which
are known to be practical and
effectual, than to send fat live cat.
tie across the ocean. The chiet
obstacle in the way of the adoption
of the system, however, is the dis
inclination Of English butcher.
and dealers in beef to provide cold
storage for the meat at Liverpool
and interior points, where a con
siderable sportion of it could be
sold. With such suitable recep
tacles provided, there would doubt
less be much less risk to those en-
gagged in supplying the Englisl
markets with American beef thar
now attends the transportation O
live beasts. And another thinc