The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-23
THE FOOD GLUr IN AUSTRALIA.

While people are dying Of hunger in
Russia uneasiuess prevails in Australia in
consequence Of the discovery that the mea:
supply exceeds any possible demand. 4
bin has been introduced into the Parlia-
nlent Of New South Wales TO subsidize the
expectation OF frozen meat. All tie speak
eTs admit that the giut Of mutton is a seTi-
Gus matter. L prevails not only in New
South Wales, but In the other Australian
colonies as well. At Auckland, New Z-a-
land, beef and mutton are selling at prices
which can leave but little profit t0the cattle
rancheI Rib rcasts # beef are offered at
to 10 cents pound, headquarters Of NUT
ton at cents and fore-Quarter5 at . cents.
ITices are about half those which rule ia
this market
There IS no instance on record Of a people
being ruined by an excess Of food supply
IL has not unfrpquently happened that for a
time tbe demand for fresh meat has been
unable 70 cope with the quantity offered.
In this State before the American occupa-
lion cattle were slaughtered for their hides
and taLow and their caTcasses were left to
The coyotes for the want Of a market ID
Eicn they could be sold But the GiscOy-
cry If gold cured the evil and an equilibrium
was restored When beef becomes unsal-
abba cattle ranches and sheep walks are
abandoned and land is put 10 other uses
Il is not easy 10 reconcile the glutted condi-
ton Of the mutton market at Sydney and
Auckland with the ruling price If animal
food in England, which Is so high that the
working class cannot always afford to eat
meat 1t las been supposed that the trade
in frozen meat was active enough to dispose
Of the Australian surplus, but this it seems
is not the case. 1t must be inferred that the
Australian shippers have not been able 10
hold the British markets.
The anomaly may be due to various
causes. When, just ten years ago, 5000
sheep were shipped from Auckland to Lon
don in a refrigerator ship, and arrived in
perfect condition after a voyage Of ninety
eight days, during which the vessel crossed
the line, it was supposed that the British
consumer was going 10 be emancipated from
his dependence on the home grower and
the American exporter of fresh meat But
the trade gradually declined in volume, and
now may almost be said TO be extinct. Sew
eral CargCes were imperfectly slowed, pu-
trefGctOn set in, and a tOta! loss eEsued.
The expense Of loading refrigerator ships
proved larger than the profits warranted,
except Oh occasions when animal food was
high in England. Hence, one after another,
the sheep-raisers in Australia abandoned
the attempt to conquer the English markets;
and now, as the late mails inform US, they
are applying 10 their Legislatures for a sub
sidy to enable them to resume the enter
prise.
1t stands to reason that means will be
found to transport an article Of prime ne
cessity from a place where it is OveTabun-
dant to a place where it is scarce. The
march Of progress is all the time increasing
the consumption Of animal food, and dimin-
ishing the area of land devoted to pa5tur-
age. Oue-half the population of the world,
residing in Asia, live nearly altogether on
vegetable food, seldom touching meat from
one years end TO another. As these people
assimlate with the more enlightened races
they will acquire a taste for meat with
other marks Of civilization. To enable
them to crafty that taste means will be
devised to carry animal food from Austria
liza, South and North America, and Central
and South Africa, to the points where land
is too valuable 20 be used for pasturage. 1t
is more likely that those means will be dis
covered through an Improvement in pro-
sides.
Only those who have inspected the great
meat-canning establishments in the Central
| States are aware OF the improvements
which ere beng effected each year in the
business Of preserving meats. Not only are
the meats preserved with their juices, and
their flavor and their ButritiVe properties,
but portions Of The animal which are thrown
away by the butcher are turned to account,
| and the food supply is thus materially in
creased. This is the example which the
sheep-raisers Of Australia should endeavor
to follow. They must either discover way
Of shipping their frozen meat in bulk at a
reduced cost, and with less risk Of loss than
at present. or they must learn to can it as
the Armours do. When they do they will
cease TO be embarrassed by a glut OF mutton
The trouble will be to raise enough mutton
10 SupplV the demand