The Washington times., 1914-08-12
LITTLE MEAT KEPT ON HAND.

The situation, however, they regard
as unusual. The bulk Of .he meat
used in Washington comes from out
side sources. The seven or eight big
packing firms of the country all have
representatives here. They keep only
a supply of meat TO meet the demands
of day or two. There has never been
any great surplus here, except when
some big center received too much meat.
and it was shippes here to be put in
storage
In this way the firm of Sulzberger &
Sons Co. received a short time ago
surpluses over the daily demand from
time to time that accumulated to the
extent Of about eight carloads of beef.
Last week, by direction of the Chicago
office, this beef was hurried to Boston,
TO be shipped abroad
1t is estimated that from twelve to
fifteen carloads of dressed meat is re-
Cetved in Washington every day, and
that the days consumption amounts to
about that. The result of the Sulz-
berger shipment is that there is no
surplus in the local market now Of
any sort except a few carcasses of
lamb that are in storage.
Butter and Egg Shortage.
The butter and egg situation is not
yet serious, but there is every likelihood
that It will be before long. The ware
housemen throughout the country have
been expected to import eggs from
China. Siberia, and Argentina, and but
ter from Australia, Sweden, and Argen-
tina. because of the unusually good tar
if conditions under the new tariff. For
this reason they have not put away the
usual amount OF produce of this sort
The result is that the warehouses are
now short about 100000 pounds of but
ter and between 5000 and 1OO, 600 cases
of eggs of the amount in storage at this
time last year, and there is every indi-
cation that the expected foreign supply
will be either entirely cut of or SO de-
pleted that Il Will be impossible to make
up the deficit The result will be, ac-
Cording to E. o. Whitford. president of
the Washington Market Company, that
the price of butter and eggs will be just
as high during the coming year as it
was last year. when the high water
mark was supposed to have been
reached.
Mr. whitford takes a very cheerful
view OF the situation, however. He de-
clares that the war could not have come
al a better time. If II is to have any
cffect, so far as the meat market is con-
cerned. The meat consumption in
Washington at this season of the year
is very low. and a shortage would not
be as severely felt as it would at an
other time.
Scarcity of Cattle.
Manager Robey. of Armour & Co.
was inclined to be optimistic regarding
the effect Of the war, but he is not
quite so cheerful about meat condl-
tions generally. He believes that the
supply of meat in Washington will not
increase, but he does not think the war
will have anything to do with ii. He
believes that the supply here will be as
great as that of any other section Of
the country and quite as large as 1t
would have been had there been no war
He ascribes the condition of the market
10 a shortage Of cattle.
The representatives of other packers
speak in the same strain. They do not
believe that the war will materially af-
feet the market, but they are almost
unanimous in the statement that there
is little hope Of a reduction in meat
prices.
Washington depends entirely on the
packing firms of Chicago. Kansas City,
Omaha. etc, for its meat supply. There