The record-union., 1895-04-22
An Explanation From Secretary
of Agriculture Morton.
AS TO DIFFERENCES IN FIGURES IN
REPORTS FURNISHED.
Claims That the Statistics Furnished
by His Department Are Just as Ac-
curate as Those Presented by the
Bureau of Statistics, and Show n
Much Greater Aggregate.
Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.

y.
WASHINGTON, April q. - Secretary
Morton was to-day shown the charge in
the Washington dispatch to the New
4ork Tribune of Friday that he had said
IN the statistics of pork exported TO Ger
many his figures do not correspond to the
official figures of the Bureau of Statistics,
and show much greater aggregate than
is given by that bureau. Secretary Nor
ton said that the figures OF the Depart
menL of Agriculture are just as accurate
as the Bureau of Statistics, and that con-
corning exports OF pork to countries re-
quiring certificates of inspection, the In
spectors of the Bureau of Animal Indus
try have an opportunity to obtain the
exact figures which is not shared by any
other department of the Government.
Every package of pork which goes to
Germany or France Lust be stamped by
an Inspector of the Bureau of Animal In
uuStry, who takes its exact weight, and
every shipment of pork to those countries
must be accompanied by certificate is
sued by an Inspector, showing that the
meats have been properly inspected, and
giving the stamp nun Der OF every pack
age. The Inspector reports all the CertIti-
Gates issued with this number of pack
ages, the weight and destination and the
cOnsIgnees.
~ do not pretend to know" he added,
how the figures of the Bureau of Status
tics are made up, but as some of the in
Epected pork is shipped to Germany by
way of Holland, Belgium and other
countries II is possible that the discrep-
ancy 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 it
covers the amount OF pork and the statis-
tics given out, but IL now appears that
the exports TOR March have been larger
than for any previous month. The total
exports of mIcrosCopically inspected
pork covered by the certificates issued
during the month of March were :, 7,329 l42
pounds. OF which 5,5z7, GA pounds was
destined for Germany, as compared with
., 5,2-9,3 $50 pounds shipped TO that country
during February, and 4,622,284 during
January.
Tine New York Tribune will fird by
reference to a letter written by General
w. b. Franklin, COmmissioner-Ge General
to the Paris Exposition, October I6, 1889,
that it's editor. Whitelaw Reid, stated
that the small number of pork raisers in
France should not require the whole ma
ton to pay higher price for so import
ant an article of 1Ood as pork merely for
their benefit"
In regard to the beef question, DR..
Salmon has reported to the Secretary
that there is an uudoubted diminution of
the class OF cattle from which the beef
supply is drawn. Taking the figures of
the statistical division, which he believes
TO be approximately correct, excluding
dairy cows, there were in 1892, 81, ,65O, ,239
head OF cattle in the United States 576 to
each 900 OF population. In 1885 there
were only "a, So, ,2I6 Of such cattle, or 4y3
to each 1000 of population. This shows
great diminuion in the beef cattle of
the country, and also that the increased
price of such cattle in the stock yards is
Legitimate. Under such circumstances,
however, the market should be so 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 al
legged decreased consumption has come
III advance of any lowering of beef In
each case the effect has Shown itself in
advance OF the cause.
a letter has just been received at the
department from prominent and per-
tectly reliable gentleman in Central IL
linols, who states that the beef sold in
his town Is shipped sometimes from
Kansas City and sometimes from Chi
cago.