The Washington times., 1916-07-05
j. S. MEAT SUPPLY
SHOWS A SHORTAGE
Production Lays Behind Popu-
Iation Increase, Says Gov
eminent Report.

Failure Of production to keep pace
with the increase in population. coupled
with the increased cost OF production
and the diminishing purchasing power
OF the money unit, has contributed to
the higher prices of meat In the United
States and throughout the world. There
il no immediate outlook for relief. but
a gradual expansion in the worlds pro-
duction of beef. mutton. and pork is pre-
dicted.
These are the findings embraced in
an exhaustive report on the meat situa-
ton, in the preparation OF which spe-
cialists from the Department OF Agri-
culture have been engaged for some
time. The report was made public
In America this gradual expansion
appears to have begun already. the re-
port says. Between 1907 and 1918 there
was a marked decline In the number or
cattle In the country. but in the last two
this has e not ony ;t9BHsd sn.
ranges on january /. 1916. 81 al 900. Is.
however. still much below the corre-
spending figure for 1907. 72,6s4.Ooo
Production Now Increasing.
with the exception Of temporary
checks due to losses from hog cholera,
the report says, there has been In re-
cent years a persistent Increase In the
production Of swine. On January !, 1915,
the number in the country was esu-
mated at $500. 900 as compared with
So, 200. 900 in April 1910. ON the other
hand, the number Of sheep declined our
ing this period from 62.6oo'ooo In lslo 10
"xs the decrease, however, is not SUM:
Client to onset the increase In cattle and
swine, II may he said that the total
n Increasing, but that this increase IL
not yet. proportionate to the growth In
1.-The available supply of meat would
enormous losses caused by disease and
exposure. Since 1900 II Is estimated that
from 100000 to LAS. 900 cattle have died
each year from disease and from ST.. 900
to 100000 from exposure. With sheep.
the losses from disease have been about
the same. but from exposure much
larger.
Hog Cholera q Factor.
with swine. the relative prevalence
OF hog cholera is perhaps the deter
mining factor in the annual loss. In
1874 this was as low as 100000. but In
1914 it amounted to 100000 II these
1,o00.0c0 hogs had been saved. 1t Is
sa id. they would have produced enough
meat to furnish every family In the
United States with forty pounds OF
pork.
States remains the greatest meat eating
as well as, greatest meat-producing
nation in the world. Approximately
twice as much meat Ia consumed In
this country as in Germany before the
war. and the total normal consumption
in Russia. Great Britain. and France
10 less than in Germany. Tho per capita
consumption Is also far greater In this
country than anywhere else with the
exception of Australia and New Zea-
land.
Our own exports now consist largely
of pork and pork products. and these
are derived to n great extent from corn.
In the fiscal years 1914 and 1915 we i'm
ported more fresh. chilled. and frozen
beef and mutton than we exported. and
more beef OF all descriptions was i'm
ported In 1914 than was exported In
this limited respect we have Joined the
great majority. Practically the whole
OF the worlds export trade In meat Ia
maintained by nine countries-Argen-
tina, Australia Canada. Denmark. Mex
leo (nndcr normal conditions). New
Zealand. the United States. and Uru-
quay"