Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1906-12-17

No feature of the export trade IN
| agricultural products has shown i
more steady and rapid growth than
that Of meat and dairy products. The
total value of meat and dairy pro-
ducts exported in the fiscal year 1896
was 1872 million dollars and in tie
| fiscal year 1906 was 211 millions, an
! increase of about so per cent during
the decade; while the figures for the
calendar year 1906 seem likely to DE
about the same as those for the fiscal
year. basing the estimate upon the
recorded figures of the ten months
ending with October.
This Increase of 60 per cent in tbs
expectation of meat and dairy products
during the decade is the more interest,"
ing and remarkable in view of the fact
that the expectation of other forms of
food has shown but little increase
during that period The principal
forms of foodstuffs exported from the
United States are breadstuffs and
meats. Exports of meat. including
dairy products. as above indicated.
have shown a steady upward move
ment during the past ten years and in
creased so per cent in value since 1896.
Breadstuffs on the contrary. show a
decline. the total value Of breadstuffs
exported in 1897 having been 1873 mill
lion dollars: in 1898. 534 millions: in
1899. "a n.n..iio7s; in 1909 2s2 9njllions
and in 1901. 276 millions. since which
time it, has steadily declined until the
total for the fiscal year 1906 was bu-
lS6 millions and for the calendar year
1906 will differ little from that of the
fiscal year
This gain i'm expectation Of meats
and loss in expectation Of breadstuffs
seem to be due, i'm part. 10 the disposi-
ton OF the American farmer TO tram
form his corn into meat before send
ing it abroad. The total quantity OF
corn exported. as shown by the figures
of the bureau Of statistics of the de-
partment Of commerce and labor was
in 1897. III million bushels; in 1885.
209 millions: in 1900. 2O9 millions,
while from that date the total steadily
declined having been below 100 mil
lion bushels i'm each fiscal year un,'!
1906. when the total was III millions
and in the calendar year seems likely
10 be about 100 million bushels.
This reduction in the exports OF
corn since 1897 seem To be due to
disposition on the part of the producers
20 turn this large and valuable crop
into meats before exporting. The
corn crop OF 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904 and
1905 averaged larger than that of the
years 1897 to 1901. when the exports
Were larger than those OF more receit
no NJ NEn q .fsrfr
exported have been much higher liz
recent years than formerly. the aver
age export price per bushel in 1906 be-
ing $40 cents per bushel. while the
average export price in 1897 was 81
cents per bushel; in 1885. 80 cents: IN
1899. 30 cents: in 1900. Al cents: I'm
1901, 46 cents. Thus the average price
per bushel in the five years OF high
expectation was but one half that OF
the year 1906. when exports OF corn
were far below those of the years
lS97-l901. The falling off in the ex-
ports of corn can not therefore be /
looked upon as o reduction in foreign /
demand since the increased price
which foreign buyers are now wfIlinP /
TO pay indicates that the popularity of |
American corn in foreign markets I
has not abated.
The cause Of the reduction in expor-
tation must therefore be looked for al |
home rather than in foreign demand.
and this cause at home seems to lie I
IN the disposition To transform the l
corn into meat before sending II
abroad. This theory is supported by !
he fact that the meat expOrtations
nave constantly grown during the time
n which corn expectations have fallen n
off. The fact that the expectation OF n
neat and dairy products has increased II
rom 1873 million dollars in 1896 to 2lI n
Millions in 1906. although the consum- II
ng population at home has greatly in
'reased meantime. and that the corn 4
.rop available for expectation also u
'reatly increased. seems to Justify the
that the corn is being ex-
ported in the form Of meats rather
han in its natural state In that per.
cd. 1896 1906. the number of food an
mails in the United States has. accord
ng to the figures OF the department OF
increased about 81 per
ent while the total value of the three
rops Of food animals-swine. sheer,
nd cattle-has grown from 1.124 mil
ion dollars to 1929 millions. an in
rease of about Sc per cent