Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-26
Hams from Across the Ocean Are
Only for Rich.
ZEN THE HOME PRODUCT HIGH
No Indications of Relief Are Yet in
Sight.
SEVERAL THEORIES ADVANCED
Butchers In the Poor Districts of
London Are TrRnsactinE BUS
mess at Positive
Loss.
BY PAIL LAMBETH.

BY PAUL LAMBETH.
LONDON, June 25.-(Specal Dispatch to
The Bee. )-England is facing a meat fam
Inc. Already the prices of all kinds of meat
have gone so high that it Is beyond the
reach of the poorer classes. and there is
no relief in sight.
Beue Us higher than 1t has been in more
than thirty years, while American bacon Is
shillings hundred weight higher than
the highest price provided in the cable code
used by the provision market. When the
code was framed no one dreamed of a price
higher than rs shllings a hundred weight.
American long CUT hams are now 81 shil-
lings and short cut" are rs shilllngs.
Not only meat, but butter, cheese and
eggs have gone out of sight So serious
has the situation become that the National
Federation Meat Traders association has
issued a warning that unless a fresh source
of supply is tapped meat will be prohibitive
to the poorer classes. The announcement
says:
In view of the greatly increased price of
all descriptions of meat both British
produced and imported, to the retailer, ow-
ing to the short supplies of cattle with the
largely reduced arrivals of live stock from
the United States and Canada, the National
Federation of Meat Traders Associations
the public that retail butchers will be COM
PEELED to put up prices all round.
There are no indications that meat will
be cheaper for some time to come the
sources of supply having been so seriously
depleted.
Causes Summarized.
Summarized, the position may be put as
follows:
The crisis has been caused by shortage
of supplies of live cattle from Canada and
the United states, and OF chilled beef from
the states. 81
During the last twelve months the whole
sale price OF beef has risen in some cases
by SO per cent
In the poorer district OF London the
butchers have not been able to increase the
retail prices because people would not pay
them.
Butchers in poor neighborhoods have been
trading at a heavy loss, and some have
had to close their establishments alto
gether.
1t is believed that a further increase up
to pence a pound will be decided upon
Many people are taking to a vegetarian
diet rather than pay excessive prices for
meat.
Giving an explanation of the rise, Alder
man Lindsey, the president of the National
Federation of Meat Traders Associations
said:
For several weeks past the demand fol
meat has largely exceeded the supply. We
are getting very few bullocks from North
America because they have very few tC
send Four years ago we received 5000 oil
1900 a week. We are scarcely getting 10O(
now 1 do not think the price of American
bullocks has ever been 80 high. English
supplies also are short and dear.
Fresh Source of supply.
1T has long been felt by those, who
have special means OF obtaining informa.
ton that unless some fresh sources Of
supply can be tapped the prices Of mea
in this country will be so much higher
that as an article Of food it will become
almost prohibitive to the working classes
whose purchasing power is certainly be
coming less
THE government have been approache,
not only by those directly interested II
the meat trade, but by most of the cor
porations of the large provincial towns
and also by quite number OF the metro
politan boroughs to receive a deputatioI
in order personally TO urge the remova
of the existing embargo, which prevent
the landing OF live cattle from the Argen
tine at our foreign animals wharves.
not even granted those who are in
position to give valuable information a
opportunity OF expressing their views
Today we are met with this fact: Tha
the number OF live animals imported TO
food is reduced almost to vanishing point
Meat from America,
1--WE rely principally upon the Unite
States for our best supplies Of summe
cattle In America they are past master
in the art Of keeping back what is wante
until 1t commands the very best prices
and they are doing something of the kin
now There is a splendid working arrange
ment among the American exporters, Wit
regard to the Argentine supplies, the mea
has been brought across the equator
and therefore has 10 be frozen 80 yer
hard that its nutritive properties are d
minished. Consequently this source of sur
ply does not help so much as II wohl
were the Argentine cattle allowed to com
alive as they used TO. There has bee
a decrease of over 10000 bullocks up
May IA Of the present year, as compare
with last years supply from Mort
America"
Andrew Carnegie and Sir william Msthe
have both become vice-presidents of tn
Peace society, and have each promise
el,OCO to the King Edward Peace Props
ganda fund. In which they are anxioU
that as many as possible shall participant
and for which IL Is proposed to raise 1
least ehD, 900.
The placing of a marble bust Of kin
Edward. by a distinguished sculptor.
the Peace Palace at The Hague, whic
was unanimously decided upon by tn
society at ts annual meeting. is de
eribed by Mr.. Carnegie 'as a most beaut
ful and appropriate thing" Beyond tn
nothing hAx been definitely fixed