The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-02
MEAT EXPORTS 0F U. s. SHOW
 BIG INCREASE ne

Meat exports from the United States in 1917 exceeded in value those | Of any earlier year in the history of our export trade. A compilation by The National City Bank of New York shows that the exports of meat, dairy products and food animals in 1917 exceeded $40O, O,0OO, 900, in value against less than $15O, ,000,0 900 in the year preceding the war and $255,OoO,- poo in the high record pre-war year, 1916,
 That this high record export in 1917 Is made in response to the appeals of our Allies, is apparent from study of the banks statistics showing the number of food animals in the Uni ted States and the details of the ex- ports of recent years. The number of food animals in the United States decreased 15,000,0o0 in the seven years preceding the war, while the consuming population of the country Increased 11,000,O00 in the same per tod. In the decade ending with 1907, the exports of meat, dairy products and food animals averaged SPA 4,OOo,- 900 a year and from 1907 to 1914 they averaged but 39,o00,000 a year, being but $14S,00G,000 in the fiscal year 1914, all of which preceded the beginning of the war. With the call from Europe, however, the exports of meat and dairy products jumped from $22O,OOO, 900 in 1915. $294,O00,000 in 1916 and $406, 6,0O0,00O in 1917, the highest record ever made in our ex- ports of this class of merchandise.
 While a part of this increase in the value of exports is, of course, due to higher prices, there is also a very large increase in the quantity export ed, especially in meats of the higher grades, which are demanded by the people of the United States. The quantity of fresh beef exported in the fiscal year 1914, all of which preced- ed the beginning of the war, was but 6,394,0OO lbs, and in 1917, 197, ISL 900 lbs. or thirty times as much in 1917 as in the year preceding the war. Of bacon, the quantity exported in 1914 was 193, ,964, 900 lbs, and in 1917 667,156,OOO lbs. Hams increased from 166,OO0, ,00O lbs. in 1914 to PCT, 900 lbs. in 1917; fresh pork from 2,668,- 900 lbs. in 1914 to 50,429 900 lbs. and canned beef from 3,465, 900 lbs. to 67,- 577,O0O lbs Dairy products also show ed a corresponding increase. Butter exports increased from 3,694,0 lbs. to 26,S25, 900 lbs; cheese from 2,42S,- 900 lbs. to 66,087, 900 lbs. and con- densed milk from $1,341,OO0 value in 1914 to 5,12O, 900 in 1917.
 While the increases in the quantity of the principal meats exported are large, the increase in total value of the exports is even greater The value of fresh beef exported in 1914 was but $117222, 1000; butter in 1914 $877,- 900 and in 1917 $8,749, 900 and cheese in 1914 $414,O00 and in 1917 $15,244,- GOO.
 These responses to the demands of our Allies in Europe for the charac- ter of food required by the men in the trenches account for the appeals for ''meatless days" among the 100 million people in the United States The quantity of fresh beef turned out by the slaughtering establishments of the United States had already fallen from 4,41O,0O0 lbs. in 1909sto 3,7S6,- OOO.OOO lbs. in 1914, the latest census year, yet the exports of fresh beef as above indicated have grown from ap- proximately 6,000,000 lbs. in 1914 to 197,O0O,OO0 lbs. in 1917. Of that to- tai export of 97,O0O,000 lbs. of fresh beef in 1917, 177,OoO,OOO went to the Allied countries, Great Britain, France and Italy and of the 667,000,00O lbs of bacon exported in 1917, over 5eO' 100000 lbs. went to Great Britain France, Belgium and Italy.
 In breadstuff exports, conditions are very similar. With a wheat croI in the past two years far below nor nal, the United States exported il the fiscal year 1917, breadstuffs val ued at $5S9 235, ,OOO against $165, SO2,OOO in 1914 and 3,9S0,O00 il 1912. This increase in exporte' breadstuffs occurs in wheat, flour corn, cornmeal, oats, oatmeal rye, ric and preparations for table food! all o which show much larger totals i 1917 than in 1914 or even 1915, tn banner year of breadstuff productio in the United States.