Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-01
DAILY KENNEBEC JOURNAL SATURDAY. NoyEMBER ! 1902

about FORT million dollafes worth of
fresh beefl4rom foreign Countries. or
over two-hirds of the total consurAp-
ton. In ordinary times the United
States 1Entshes about seventy-fiSe
per cent. kf the fresh beef imported7sa
trade with amounts IT'D about thirty
million dollars a yeak. There hds
been a efeat shaking ,lp during ttr
era OF ne prices which HAS prevailed
Tor m9ths past and the figures for
the crftnt year are awaited with
great interest. They will show just
how fsr, IN pinch, the English peol
pie can 60 without meat and will
demoistr,te through importations,
other thin American. just how the
meatdeafrs of the United States have
secured Glis trade by underselling the
peoIie Tho can only come in now
when thfe is a shortage.
The .Ubited States exported In 1901,
$4,000 I'VE cattle valued at $4,000, 900.
$4,000 I've sheep valued at about ST.
10000. la value of STA, O00, 900 in
| dessedhneats, live horses and mules
stt a vaue of 100000 and fats and
| Ills at ! value of $4,000. 900.
| HIn JuAe, 1901. the United States sent
about 1000 head Of live cattle to Eng
iAnd, While in June, 1902, the receipts
lhere fDm the same source were less
than D,000 head. In June, 1901, the
lUnited States sent about thirty four
EmillioI pounds of fresh beef to Eng
land, and in June, 1902, the receipts
here rom the same source were only
about twenty million pounds. AS
Englnd normally depends upon the
Unit'd States for seventy-five per
cent. of her beef, it can readily be
imagined that such a decrease not only.
resulted in high prices, but in almost
a fimine among the poorer classes.
1t night also be added that this con-
ditbn is one of the influences instru-
mental in bringing about a boom in
the British Colonial trade idea, for the
politicians We're forced to take. no.
tice. 1t has also intensified the British
dislike of the so-called American trust
of all descriptions, a bogy man which
is a useful stage property for the SEN
sational section of the English press.
The beef sold in England this sum-
mer has ranged in price by the car
cass, wholesale, from 101A to 13k
cents per pound. The beef sent from
the United States i'm 1901 was valued
in New York at 3 1-3 cents per Pound,
and in 1902 at over eleven cents per
pound. If the transportation and
selling charges are added there is lit
tie profit shown at any time, and a
considerable loss during the months
of the past summer Contracts for
steamers are made i'm five-year terms
and contracts for cattle and meat are
made months in advance. hence any
remarkable rise in price cannot be
provided against except in the general
averaging of the trade Of a year or of
several years. ..-
American beef has been kept coming
to London at the expense of other
English ports and other foreign mar
kets, for it is here that the American
packers and shippers have spent the
most money in building up trade and
invested the largest sums i'm execu-
tive and handling facilities. 1t is to
the foreign cattle market$at Deptford
on the Thames, just below London,
that the American live cattle are sent
to supply the city.
In March the shortage was first Sc
riously felt. II amounted to about one
thousand head. or ten per cent. of the
receipts in March of the year before.
In April the shortage was again one
thousand head. In May, over two
thousand head; in June, over four
thousand head: in July, nearly three
thousand head, and in August the
same, and SO on up to the present
time. The loss in fresh beef receipts
at the great Smithfield dead meat
market was about three thousand tons.
What these things mean to a city of
nearly seven million people. a vast
majority of whom earn less than $40
PER week to the family and who live
from hand to mouth, day by day, can
be more readily imagined than de-
sCribed
From no other source can England sup
ply this deficiency except in very small
degrees. The United States and Canada
are the only countries in the world send
ing live cattle to England, others being
debarred from sanitary reasons or by
lack of transportation facilities. Argen-
tina would send some live cattle to Eng
land but she is prohibited owing to al
legged cattle diseases at home Argentina
has. however. sent more frozen beef to
England this year than she ever has
before, live or dead weight.
Since the high prices prevailed there
has been great pressure brought to bear
u1on the English government to admit
live cattle from Argentina, and ii is eX-
pected the embargo will be removed early
next year. The belief is general in Eng
land that there are vast herds of cattle