St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-15
Our Export Cattle Trade.

There is much significance in the fact
that Notwithstanding the British re-
strictions Oh our live cattle exported.
we have sent to that country in the past
eighteen months oyer700 900 head. Fhis
seems to he the key to the situation
under the grip of the "big four rack
ers of this country, who have in a large
measure broken up the local markets
for beef cattle. In an able review of
this matter, j. HI. Sanders, who has
spent much time abroad in the past few
years, writes as follows of it in the
Breeders Gazette. What he says is
worthy of careful thought:
And right here what appears to be a
dangerous aspect of the question is
overlooked by our British cousins. Not
caring TO take issue against the almost
unusual demand for cheaper food, while
making every possible objection and
using every plausible preteXt to prevent
the unrestricted importation of Amer
lean cattle, they apparently look with
favor upon the Importation of American
dressed beef. 1t is conceded on all
hands that Great Britain can
never be independent of foreign
countries for its food supply,
and it seems strange that her farmers
and agricultural journals should look
with any degree of favor upon a system
of carrying on their cattle trade with
us which, while it amounts to strong
competition with them as producers,
does not afford them any opportunity
whatever of sharing in the profits of
business. All this would be changed in
twinkling if British farmers could
buy our cattle and take them to their
own stables and pastures to be finished
than q I,
ket is at its best, and that this might
now safely be done there remains not
the slightest doubt. The danger which
menaces the British public in eonnec-
ton with this foreign meat traffic as it
is now conducted, is that by discour-
aging and embarrassing the importation
of live cattle and encouraging the i'm
portation of dead meat they are pur-
suing policy which will Inevitably
result in handing over the foreign meat
supply of that country to the dressed
beef combine, which now has the cattle
raisers as we'll as the beef consumers of
this country by the throat. There were
many indications before | left London
oily were quietly intriguing to kill off
absolutely the trade in live cattle with
this country, and when It's remembered
to what an important extent Great
Britain is dependent upon foreign
countries for her meat supply, some idea
may be had of the magnitude of the
stake for which this monstrous monop-
oily is believed to be playing.
Forewarned is forearmed. No one
would have believed ten years ago that
it would be possible for any combina-
ton to be made strong enough In this
country TO practically destroy the bust
ness OF the local butchers throughout
the United States, and to arbitrarily
dictate prices, not only to raisers of cat
tie, but to consumers of beef, from one
end of our country to the other; and
yet it has etfectually accomplished all
this, and is now seeking new worlds to
conquer OH the other side of the Allan
tic. If the British market can be
opened and kept open for live cattle,
the coils of the baneful anaconda can
not be drawn so tightly ON either side
of the water as they otherwise will
surely be.