The Washington times., 1906-07-16
Canned Goods Exports
Low; Live Stock
Way Up.
C0UNTERBALANCES OTHER
Depression Attendant Upon Meat In
vestigation Disclosures Only
Temporary.

The situation OF the American meat
industry presents a curious and interest
ing anomaly just now Exports OF
American meat products are falling of
at rate which would be positively
alarming but for the fact that prices
OF American livestock are getting up
toward record breaking heights.
On the very day the statistics were
made public showing a startling de-
crease in meat exports. hogs in Chicago
touched the 81 mark-the highest OF the
year-and steers IN that market sold
at $780, On the same day sheep were
uD 10 81 and spring lambs 20 $ s.50 the
bonanza level
The apparent anomaly is easily ex-
planned away. according TO statisticlans.
IN June the exports of canned beef fell
over 90 per cent. from S6l9. .SS8 10 S29l, IA.
Exports of hams fell from 81. $4,000 10
81. 636 600; pork products from S9il 900 TO
SSH. 600: lard from S3.956.00 10 S3.9l5. 900;
all comparisons being with June Of 1865.
Much has been made Of these figures.
but explanation OF them really indicates
that they have small significance. In
June. 1905. Japan was getting a great
quantity Of our meat products, ordered
for war uses. That demand fell off
when the war ended. in Nay. 1906. we
sent only one-ffth as much canned beef
70 Japan as in May. 1893.
Meat Trade Unnatural.
Our meat trade with Germany has
been In an unnatural condition for much
OF year because Of the threats made
the latter part OF last year Of German
tariff retaliation against the United
"a.
American meats would presently be rails
ed TO ii prohibitive point. Germans i'm
ported immense quantities. Netherlands
and Belgium We're even more affected by
the threatened German tariff change
than was Germany itself. for a curious
complication of reasons. and they be-
came purchasers Of even greater in
creases than Germany. Then il came
about that the increase IN the German
tariff was not put into effect The Ger
mans had been stocking uD on American
meats. and had 70 unload them. In
May. 1905, we sent Germany nearly twice
as much canned beef as in May. 1905.
almost four times as much cured beef.
almost twice as much bacon. and four
times as much ham. May was the last
month OF trade before the influence II
the packing house disclosures began TO
have their effect
In short, the American meat industry
was having d tremendous and unprece-
dented b5om when the meat disclosures
came on. There has been a small re-
ductiOu In exports. Yet all the pressure
OF this condition and of whatever do
nestle effect the scandals may have
had, together with the undoubted will
ingness Of the packers 20 make the az
fair look like a calamity TO the meat
growers. have failed 20 find reflection
in prices OF livestock. Instead. live
stock prices arc now breaking records.
Decrease viii Continue.
II is said that more foreign orders
have been cancelled for coming months.
and thar during the remainder Of the
year the decrease in exports will be
stH more striking. This is likely true;
yet the packers, who know more about
II than anybody else. are paying s. for
hogs and almost as much for steers,
whose carcasses will have TO be sold
in these coming months OF depression.
If the packers are as good business
men as they are commonly supposed
to be-" said one sJatstlcian. they
would not pay fancy prices for live
stock today, in order to get the privi-
lege OF selling it In a depressed mar
ket some months henCe-wOuld they2"
Secretary Wilson, the statisticians,
and the packers are ia complete agree
ment. they all insist that the inluri-
Gus effect of the packing house dis
closures on the meat trade viii be
momeutary and insignificant, and that