The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-25
Removal of Tariff Will Open
America to Australian
and Other Packers
SEE POSSIBILITIES
FOR BIG BUSINESS
One Handicap Is Fact That Some of
Americas Greatest Packers Are
Interested in Industry in
South America
Rx G. e. STEWART.


Washington, July ESPECIAL )-Secre-
culture in anticipation of the Underwood
bill being enacted into law, and in view
of the fact that the bill has placed meat
and meat products on the free list, has de-
tailed DIR. A. ID. Melvin, chief of the bu-
reau of animal industry, to go to South
America to investigate the slaughtering,
canning and the general packing house
business of that continent. Secretary
Houston has also ordered that DR.. e. c..
Ross of the same bureau. whose head
quarters are at Portland. Immediately to
proceed to Australia to make similar in
vestigations there.
The department of agriculture admits
that the purpose of sending these gentle
men abroad at this time is to instruct the
packers of these big beef producing coun-
tries how to prepare their products so as
to expedite the entry into this country of
fresh meat when the law becomes ef-
fective.
This step is taken by the department for
the purpose of giving every aid that 1t can
to assist the law designed to reduce the
cost of living in the United States
South America and Australia without
doubt produce enough meat to have an
immediate effect upon the price in this
country if the flow of export trade from
those countries can be directed this way.
Awake to Possibilities
The administration has information that
already the packers in this country who
have large in
awake to the possibilities of an increased
trade with the United States. They are
preparing to increase their facilities for
handling this meat, but there is consid-
cradle doubt expressed as to whether this
proposed increase will reduce the price In
asmuch as those interested are membrs
of tn so-called beef trust What the de-
partment will probably try to encourage is
competition in the meat trade. The princi-
pal difficulty that presents itself to this
scheme is the lack Of ships specially built
for the meat trade. Meat coming from
Australia or Argentina or any of the
South American countries must be shjpped
in refrigerator vessels These vessels are
built especially. for the meat trade, and
at this time there are very few of them
In commission. There will necessarily have
to be considerable inducement offered to
someone to build morei of these vessels,
from the very simple reason that their
trade because of their construction must
be confined almost entirely to the meat
trade. Consequently they will only carry
freight-at least a paying cargo-one way
On their return trip to the beef produce
ing countries they will In most instances
be empty. The beef trust perhaps, can
afford this--the question is can anyone
else afford it?
Supply Serious Proposition
The beef supply in this country is admit
ted to be serious proposition Dr. Mel
vim says that Americans are the greatest
consumers of beef in the world. exceed
ing even the British who have had the
reputation of being the greatest beef
eaters.
The population of the United States has
far outstripped the beef supply In pro-
portion to the increase-in other words, the
worth in the cattle industry has not kept
pace with the increase in the population
In fact, for the last six years there has
been a loss in the number of beef cattle
| in the country.
"The home demand for meat" said DR..
Melvin, 'shas been increasing along with
the population. According to the census
we have 29.000,000 more people to feed than
| we had 20 years ago. Americans are
great meat eaters. A recent estimate
made by the animal industry bureau
shows the annual consumption of meat a
head of the population to be 1852 pounds
of which beef constitutes 80 pounds and