The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-27
ARMY DEMAND ADDS
TO PARIS MEAT COST
No Shortage Exists, but I'm,
usual Situation Is Hard
on Civilians.

PAMs, June within the last ten
days there has been a sharp rise In
Paris in the price OF meat. and esps
cially Of beef. which has greatly dis
turbed the minds and budgets Of house
to four or SIX cents . pound and he
papers soon began to discuss the stu
alton.
IL then became apparent that the fault
lay chiefly with the producers and
wholesale buyers n the smaller men
refused to purchase. so that tho anom-
alous sight was seen Of more than
. thousand prime oxen being brought
to La Nlllette market and taken away
again unsold. while Paris butchers were
unable to supply tho demands. This
will. however. soon right itself. probs bly,
automatically.
There 10 no absolute shortage at pres
ent. but the abnormal demand Of the
army has brought down the national
"cheptel.' or head Of cattle. and Il In
clear that some measures must be taken
10 save the stock in France from being
altogether eaten up. In ordinary times.
OF course. the masses DO not eat beef
every day. whereas the soldiers are sup
piled with continual meals Of II and eat
q considerable quantity.
As q rule there Is always Q steady
now OF imported meat alive from
abroad. but except for q certain amount
OF cattle bought In Spain and Italy up
10 now France has herself furnished
most OF the food In beef for the army.
The commisss riat nevertheless fore
saw very soon hat there would be Q
necessity for e~xtraneous supplies n
entered into contracts some time ago
! for large consignments Of frozen meat.
To do this Il was obliged to come 10 an
agreement with England, which In ordi-
nary times takes S5 per cent. Of all the
worlds frozen meat. England consented
to give up \ certain amount, but there
again arose the question OF transport,
az It was only In the British merchant
service that boats could be found
equipped to carry frozen carca ses. A
bill Is now before the Chamber which
enters into some OF these questions and
raises several now ones.
According to this bill the army has
already bought 100000 tons, but fnds
that II will require more, The 240, 0OO
tons contract was for delivery up 70
the end OF February and offers are made
for An extra 10000 tons. There Is
nothing extraordinary In this. but the
Temps finds II curious that instead OF
merely asking for a credit for the
40. 600 tons the bill asks FOR an annual
credit TO buy this amount for tho mex,
nve years. and also that the Min,stry
Of War should be able TO sell to tho
public any OF this imported frozen mea,
that is not wanted for the troops.
II asks why five years should be fxed
for continual purchases. but the rea sor
Is tolerably clear. as the British hav.
not ships always at disposal n French
ship owners also want 10 out into tn,
business. At the same time they say
that II Is not worth their while 10 trans.
form their boast or build new ones
unless they are sure OF being able e
have this special freight for at leas'
five years, This raises more than on.
commercial and economical problem.
A. TO the state becoming eventual,
a selling butcher to the public, there
has always been q very strong feel.nt
against state competition with private
trade, n II may be foretold without
fear of contradiction that this propose
will meet with %renuo opposition BE.
sides the objections OF the trade. poll
ticians will probably argue that tn,
state has already plenty to do wNhou
taking upon itself to sell second hand
meat hat tho Wa Ministry passes OF
to II.
When frozen meat comes onto the
Paris market there will be all sorts o,
difficulties raised and precautions take,
to insure that the public Is not cheat tee
into paying the same price for the froxer
carcass as for fresh killed.