Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-21
MEAT IMPORTATI0NS
SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION IN GER
MAN EMPIRE.

| Special Cablegram to The Star.
BERLIN, October 21.-The outcry against
| the prohibitive regulations concerning the
| import of meat from abroad is becoming
| louder and louder all over the German en-
pjre. SO that it will be interesting to watch
whether the government will much longer
continue to turn deaf to the APP
parently just demands of the people in
order to satisfy the ideas of the German
farmers The price of meat has at length
risen to such an extent that it is becoming
partly prohibitive to the people of small
incomes and wholly prohibitive to the poorer
section of the working classes in towns
where artisans and factory hands have be-
come accustomed to meat diet
1t must be known that it Is not Simply
a question of meat as food, but OF tne la.
of pork that is used in large qua ntltles III
small households in the preparation OF
most articles of food. During special IN
quiries on the subject in east PRUSSIA,
which is poor province, 1t was fouho Una.
the people consume large quantity OIL
pork the fat of which is used in the dress
ing of vegetables. soups, etc Not very
long ago the market price of pork was
about 60 pfennigs-in some cases less; but
meat which till comparatively recently cost
60 pfennigs Is now sold at ~ to 30 prem
nigs and rose to even one marx ls.) per
pound. In other words. there mas peen q
rise in price of from 40 to 30 per cent
Meat has never been so high in Dantzic as
is at the present moment, and the Same
doubtless holds good all over the Kingdom
of Prussia. Berlin prices have risen ehoi-
mousy, and all classes IN the towns Win
out exception are being seriously affected
According to the law now in force the
number of pigs that may be brought across
the eastern frontier is $50 per week Next
snring this number will be raised TO 2,Joo
II is submitted that in view of the present
great demand, which cannot be sausneo
by the home producers, the new reguia-
tons should forthwith come into force But
the farming interest is, of course, dead
against any concession to the general pub
Ve. The present situaticA is naturally eX-
dotted by liberals throughout the land,
| and above all by the social democrats. II
| is question of political strength
Has Two Sides.
| The matter has two sides. From the point
| of view of the town population, including
| all workers in industrial life, matters stand
| as lust stated, and taken as question OF
| housekeeping the result is that the weekly
| bill for food at the present juncture must
| necessarily be higher If meat is to continue
| as heretofore a regular article OF 1000. But
| there is something to be said on the otner
| side which in great measure accounts 10 10
| the high prices couple of years ago the
| farmers had no food for their cattle, Owing
! to the drought, and were Obliged TO sen AT
| any price In order to get rid of their STOCK
| Meat was consequently drug on the mar
| ket. poor as it was. This year there was
| a superabundance of fodder oats are pet
ter and more pie ltiful than they have long
| been: potatoes, which last year cost up TO
| As per cwt., can be obtained for Is. 3D. even
| Is. 3D. and Is. per cwt Inc farmers al {
| endeayoring to take advantage of the sftua-
4 ton partly in order to consume their roo
der and obtain good manure. and partly III
| order to feed up their stock and recoup
| themselves for former years or lean STOCK
| and poor prices.
| According to many authorities the hlen
| prices will soon go back again; in fact, they
| have already diminished little in compar-
| son with what they were. Within four or
| Ave weeks 1t is calculated by these authori-
| ties that the market will again be normal.
/ At any rate, ii seems clear that there is no
| question OF a cattle famine. There is plenty
| of live stock, but it is question of inter
| ests The farming interest is trying to take
| advantage of circumstances and to recoup
| itself at the expense of the general popula-
| ton If it be true that the farmers are
| only holding back their stock In their own
| interest and that they will have to bring
| II to market now without loss of time their
! tine will soon be over. and they will in the
| end not gain much more than good sup
| ply of manure for the soil. Meanwhile the
| butchers and dealers In meat who as rule
| reap large profits from the public are fore
| ed to forego these profits owing TO the In
| ability of the general public to purchase SO
| much meat; and they accordingly join the
| politicians who are working for political
| purposes.
Nature of the Struggle
These arguments doubtless do not justify
the conduct of the agrarians, but they per-
haps serve to show the nature of the strug-
gle. It's healthy condition of things that
there should be no artificial restrictions on
| the import of foodstufYs, land the evils OF
such restrictions are being eofcihaE broughl