The morning call., 1890-08-19
AMERICAN PORK IN FRANCE.

L
The correspondence between Secretary
Blaine and Minister Reid on the subject of
the exclusion of American pork from France
does not add much to the knowledge which
the public already possessed. By the direc-
ton of MIR. Blaine, Mr.. Reid appealed to
the French Government to repeal the law
excluding American pork products, and
quoted the decision of the French Academy
of Medicine TO prove that they were not I'M
wholesome. The Frenchmen replied that
they admitted that our pork was not dele
FERROUS, but added that the proteetionist
feeling was so strong in France that an at
tempt to admit American pork would rouse
amoung the agriculturists a storm which
the Government did not care to encounter.
There the matter rests.
This is not the first time that an attempt
has been made 10 repeal the law of 1881 for
bidding the importation Of American hog
products into France, on the ground that
they were tainted by triChina. In Novem-
Der, 1883, French scientists proved that the
trichine scare was delusion, and the prohi-
bition was lifted. But the landowners rallied
and argued that though no trichina could
now be found in American pork, they had
certainly once been in it, and that the pest
might be communicated by rats, which fed
indiscriminately on foreign and domestic
pork. On this preteXt the prohibition was
revived, and extended to all classes of
hog products except lard. The consequence
was that the imports into France of Amer
lean hams, bacon and pork, which had
amounted to $40, 100000 in 1881, fell to S4O,-
coo in 1883. They were merely nominal in
l1a To- i
French Importation Of American lard
amounted in that year to 81, 52S, 0O0
1t is unnecessary to waste space In DEM
onstratng that the policy Of France is die
tated by desire to benefit the landowner
at the cost of the consumer. The French
hog is fatleDed on sWil, refuse and malt
mash, hence the meat is inferior to the meat
Of the cern-fed hog raised in this country
at the same time, owing to the higher prices
of land in Europe, the inferior pork raised
in that country costs more than sound and
sweet American pork can be laid down for
in European markets. The French Cham
bers, at the dictation Of the land-owning
class, refuse to allow the residents of cities
to supply themselves with good article at
low price, and compel them to consume a
poor article at a high price. The situation
is the same in Germany, Sweden, Austro-
Hungary, Italy aud Spain. The land
owner is boss.
Our export trade in hog products to Con-
tinental Europe is not so important that
our relations with the nations which dis
crimiuate against us need be strained. In
the year 1Ss9-90 our total export of hog
products, including lard, to all foreign
countries was S66,5Oo,OOo. Leaving lard out
of the reckoning, as it is not covered by
the prohibition, our exports TO France were
less than million. Ten years ago they
were S10.500,000 Thus we lose through the
French discrimination in favor of French
landowners a market for less than S10,-
OOO,000 worth of pork, bacon and hams
This is not so serious loss that we need
quarrel about it. though it is proper sub
ject for diplomatic remonstrance.
There will come time when the working
class in Continental Europe will demand
cheap food, as the English workingman did
nifty years ago, and then the two classes
the jewellers in cities and the jewellers in
the country-will fight it out between them
Ii The country proves the stronger in the
several legislative bodies the cities may,
perhaps, take an appeal to the court OF last
resort In any event we shall remain spec
tators OF the struggle.