The San Francisco call., 1906-11-07
Gernany's Meat Shortage Causes Increase
in Importations and Rise in Prices.

ers' Association, at their recent con-
vention, was authorized to petition the
German Government for the following
immediate changes in the laws: I'd Ad-
mission of Danish bovine cattle under
the same privileges enjoyed by Aus
tria at present, viz: No quarantine and
no tuberculin test: (2) admission of
bovine cattle from Holland; CD admis-
sion of hogs from France for the cities
of Strassburg, Metz, Hagenau and
some larger cities in Baden: from Hol-
land from all slaughter house cities of
the Government circuit of Dusseldorf,
Cologne and AK la Chapelle and from
Denmark for the slaughter house cities
of the district bordering on the north
and on the Baltic Sea. Finally, as the
least to be demanded and considered
most urgent; Cd The adoption of
forced declarations" for foreign lard
and fat (speisefett) and for such goods
for the manufacture of which these
articles are used CD prohibition of the
Importation of barrel meat; (3) prohi-
bition of the use of foreign canned
meat for the navy, marine and all
ships. An explanatory resume accom-
panied these resolutions when present
ed recently to the Imperial German
Chancellor.
The same organization recently ad-
dressed petition to the Prussian Min
ister of Agriculture declaring that the
German hog supply is suffering con-
siderably from overfeeding and bad
treatment, causing degeneracy and rem
dering the hogs very susceptible to
epidemics. The petition demands strin-
gent measures of reform in this di-
rection, and wants to have all hogs
branded so as to show where they come
from. Furthermore. it calls for an ex-
of ir1cn fn S1
tering done in private houses and asks
for stable inspection and control at
the expense of the cattle owner.
Another petition desires that all
pork or hogs coming from Russia
should only be given to members of
the Butchers Master Union, viz. such
members as keep an open shop and
have the right to the master" title
Various meat-trading organizations
and consumers associations are bring
ing pressure to bear on the Govern
ment in the direction of lower duties
on meat, and the press is giving the sub
ject much attention. However, there
are no indications at present of any
changes of this kind finding favor in
Government circles.
Regarding American sales of meat
and lard in Germany, it may be well
to emphasize that the present reforma-
tion of packing house conditions in the
United States is viewed with general
appreciation by the multitude of Ger
man consumers of the American prod
ucts. All that is necessary for the
American exporters to hold and en-
large the present markets is to thor
oughly familiarize the consuming pub
lie, in addition to the agents in the
big cities. with the rigid and success
full inspection and publication now go
ing on in the American packing houses.
No better advertisement than such lit
erature judiciously circulated, together
with vigorous drumming by German
speaking representatives. is necessary
for the success of American meat in
this market, a large one. because of
German dependence on foreign foods
for the sustenance of its industrial
population.