The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-22
SAYS HIS ARE CORRECT.
Records Are Kept of All Ger
tificates of the Inspec-
ton of Pork.
BEEF CATTLE DROPPING OFF.
No Reason Why Retail Prices Should
Be SO High in the Eastern
Markets.

WASHINGTON, D. c., April 21.-secre-
tary Morton was to-day shown the charge
in the Washington dispatch to the New
York Tribune of Friday, that he had said
the statistics of pork exported to Germany
and his figures do not correspond with the
official figures of the Bureau of Statistics
and shows a much greater aggregate than
is given by that bureau. Secretary Morton
said that the figures of the Department OF
Agriculture are Just as accurate as the Bu-
reau of Statistics, and that concerning ex-
ports of pork TO countries, requiring certlh-
Gates of inspection, the inspectors OF the
Bureau Of Animal Industry have an OPP
portunity to obtain the exact figures,
which is not shared by any other depart
ment Of the Government. Every package
of pork which goes TO Germany or France
must be stamped by an inspector of the
Bureau of Animal Industry, who takes its
exact weight, and every shipment of pork
to those countries must be accompanied by
a certificate issued by an inspector showing
that the meats have been properly in
spected and giving the stamp number of
every package. The inspector reports all
the certificates issued with the number of
packages, the weight and destination and
the consignees.
81 do not pretend to know" he added,
chow the figures of the Bureau of Stats
tics are made up but as some of the in
spected pork is shipped to Germany by
way OF Holland, Belgium and other coun-
tries it is possible that the discrepancy
arises from this pork being credited to
those countries instead OF the country of
ultimate destination. The Department of
Agriculture not only has a complete list
of shipments, showing the shipper in this
country and the consignee, and covering
the entire amount of pork referred to in
the statistics given out, but it now appears
that the exports for March have been
larger than for any previous month.
1.-THE total exports of microscopicalIy in
spected pork covered by the certificates is
sued during the month of March was
1923, 142 pounds, of which 5,527, GA pounds
was destined for Germany, as compared
with 8, 229, 1856 pounds shipped to that coun-
try during February and 1862, 2S4 during
January.
"The New York Tribune will find by ref
erence to a letter written by General W.
B. Franklin, Commissioners General to the
Paris Exposition October 16, 1889, that its
editor, Whitelaw Reid, stated that the
small number of pork-raisers in France
should not require the whole nation to pay
a higher price for so important an article
of food as pork merely for their benefit -
In regard to the beef question DR.. Sal
mon has reported to the Secretary that
there is an undoubted diminution of the
class of cattle from which the beef supply
is drawn. Taking the figures of the Stats
x1bia he haiT +n no
proximately correct, excluding dairy cows
there were in 1892, 81, 500, 239 head of cattle
in the United States, 576 to each 1000 of
population In 1895 there were only a.
1854, ZIG of such cattle, or 493 to each 1000 of
population. This shows great diminu-
ton in the beef cattle of the country and
also that the increased price of such cattle
in the stockyards is legitimate. Under
such circumstances, however, the market
should be strong and the cattle be readily
disposed of at advanced figures, instead of
being weak and depressed, as is constantly
reported.
The price of beef in the Eastern cities has
gone higher than is justified by the price
of live cattle, and the reported break in the
market for cattle on account of alleged de-
creased consumption has come in advance
OF any lowering on beef. In each case the
effect has shown itself in advance of the
cause.
A letter has Just been received at the de-
partment from prominent and perfectly
reliable gentleman in Central Illinois, who
states that the beef sold in his town is
shipped sometimes from Kansas City and
sometimes from Chicago.
The retail price of first quality meat, as
good as ever found in any city, is for loin
and porterhouse steaks Is cents, and for
round and rib roast OF the best quality 121l
cents. AS such meat can be shipped from
Chicago to New York for less than three
quarters of a cent per pound, it is difficult
for the department to see why the con-
sumner in the Eastern cities should now be
forced to pay double these prices.