The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-22

Washington, April 21.-Secretary Nor
ton was today shown the charge in the
Washington dispatch to the New York
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 sta
tistics, and show q much greater aggre-
gate than is given by that bureau. Secre-
tary Morton said that the Tigures of the
department Of agriculture are just as
accurate as the bureau of statistics, and
that concerning exports of pork TO coun-
tres requiring certificates of inspection,
the inspectors of the bureau of animal
industry have an opportunity to obtain
The exact figures, which is not shared
by any other department of the govern
ment. 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 q certificate is
sued by en- inspector, showing that the
meats have been properly inspected, and
giving the stamp numbdr of every pack
age the number of packages, the weight
and destination, and the ccnsignee.
How Figures Are Obtained.
7 do not pretend to know" he added,
"how the figures of the bureau of Stats
tics are made up, but as some Of the in
way of Holland, Belgium and other
countries, it is possible that the dis
crepancy 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 con-
si2nee, and covering the entire amount of
pork referred TO in the statistics given
out but 1t now appears that the exports
previous month. The total exports Of
scopically-inspected pork covered
10y the certificates issued during. the
month of March was 1920, l42 pounds, of
which 5,527,644 pounds was destined for
Ger any, as compared with 5,229, 1856
pcuhus shipped 10 that country during
February and 4,622, 2S4 during January.
reference to a letter written by General
w. b. Franklin, commissioner-gen
10 the Paris exposition, October 16, 1889,
that its editor, Mr.. 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 i'm
portant an article Of food as pork, merely
for their benefit.
The Beef Question.
In regard to the beef question. DR..
Salmon has reported to the secretary
that there is an undoubted diminution
81 the class, OF cattle from which the beef
the statistical division. which he believes
TO be approximately correct, excluding
dairy cows, there were in 1892 ST. CSC, 239
head of cattle in the United States SIG
TO each LOCO of population. In 1885. there
are only 34364,2 l6 of such cattle, or 4s2
to each LOCO of population. This shows
great diminution in the beef cattle in
the country, and also that the increased
price of such cattle in the stock yards
is legitimate. Under such circumstances, j
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 decrea sed consumption has
come in advance of any lowering on beef.
In each case the effect has shown itself
in advance Of the cause 4 letter has
lust been received at the department
from (. prominent and perfectly reliable
gentleman in central Illinois, who states
that the beef sold in his town is shipped
some times from Kansas City and some
lines from Chicago. The retail price Of
first quality meat as good as ever found
in any city, is for loin and pcrterhouse
steaks and roasts of the best quality
round and rib roast of the best quality,
12ie cents. AS such meat can be shipped
from Chicago to New York for less than
/ hr,s a-quarters of cent per pound, it is
difficult for the department to see why
the consumer in the eastern cities should
he now forced 10 pay double these
prices.