Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-07-09
SOUTH AMERICA
NEW FOOD LARDER.
MEAT SUPPLY FOR ALL NATIONS
BEING OBTAINED IN LARGE
QUANTITIES.
ARGENTINA TAKES LEAD
IN FEEDING WORLD
Brazil Also Has Corner on Portions Of
Meat Business-American and Brit
ish Packers Studying Possibilities Of
Extending Business on Southern
Continent.

In steadily increasing degree the
wcrld is looking to South America for
its daily existence. There has been no
economic change Of recent years more
interesting, and even important. than
the demand for other nations, includ-
ing the United States. upon the Latin
republics for beef and bread. The
situation Is treated at length in a cir
cular Of the Latin American division
Of the department Of commerce. which
points out that one Of the most serious
questions confronting the countries Of
the world is that Of the meat supply
of the future. For nearly a decade the
number Of cattle has not been increas-
ing in proportion to the demands Of
the growing populations. The decrease
in the supply Of meat has affected the
United States as we'll as Europe. The
situation in the United States is reach
ing an interesting stage. Within the last
ten years the population has increased
about IS per cent, while the herds have
decreased 20 par cent.
VIII South America. with its extern
sive areas suitable for cattle-raisin5
and its growing meat-packing plants.
help relieve the situation? The outlook
in that direction Is indeed favorable.
Already Argentina and Uruguay, and
in lesser degree Brazil, Colombia and
some of the other countries, are f1gur-
ing as meat producing possibilities. In
the development Of this industry the
general installation Of refrigeration by
steam ship lines has been Of great serv-
ice.
In South America steel. breeding is
resultant industry Of meat freezing.
Before the introduction OF refrigera-
ton, sailed and dried meat, tough and
unpalatabl was in general use locally
and exported in limited quantities to
Europe. This meat is still used in some
parts of South America and in the
tropics, where It Is almost impossible
to keep fresh meat. but it has never
been popular in Europe.
Stimulated by the increasing demand
from Europe for imported fresh meat
were made to export cattle
on the hoof. These. however. proved
unsuccessful. Then the meat-packins
and indirectly, the stock-raising In
dustries were revolutionized by the in
PRODUCTION Of refrigeration. This made
possible the shipping Of frozen and
chilled meat. Frozen meat is now being
used extensively by the allied armies.
Argentina Greatest Meat Producer
Argentina is today the most import
ant meat producing country OF the
world. Brazil is beginning to appreciate
her potentialities as meat producer
and is likely to become powerful
rival in the near future. Uruguay has
her important position.
while Paraguay, Columbia and Vene-
zuela are among the countries that are
receiving consideration from far
sighted American and English packers.
According to latest reports, there are
at the present time more than suffi-
Client refrigerating facilities to take
care Of the limited cargo space allotted
but 1t is the after-the-war situation
which IS being studied.
England has been the principal mar
ket for Argentine beef which it ad-
mitted free Of duty while many Of the
other European countries imposed pro-
hibttive import duties. This condition
is changing due, partly. to the war
demands: Italy and France are i'm
porting large quantities OF frozen beef
for their armies and the United States
has opened her markets to foreign
meat.
With one exception the large "frigori-
ficos" are controlled by English or
United States capital. Here is a list OF
the more important ones:
The British and Argentine Meat
Company Is an English Arm owning
the River Plate Fresh Meat Company
at Campana, the Las Palmas frigori-
fco founded by the Nelson Brothers.
and a string Of retail shops in Eng
land. This company has an authorized
capital Of 100000. During 1917 1t
exported $1,000 tons OF chilled beef
and mutton from the Plate and 10000
tons from Brazil.
The Smithfield and Argentine Meat
Company is an English concern oper-
ating a frigorif1co on the Parana river
in the province of Buenos Aires. At its
annual meeting in 1916 it voted to in
crease its capital stock from 6 $4,000
to 100000.
The Union Cold Storage Company Is
also an English concern with a new
frigorifco at Zarat in Argentina and
holdings In Australia. The company is
known in Argentina as the Anglo
South American Meat Company.
The only important company owned
by Argentine capital Is the Sansinena
Company, which owns n plant at La
Negra on the bankes Of the Riachuelo,
a plant at Bahia Blanca and the Frig-
orifica Cruguaya, near Montevideo. The
company also owns butcher shops in
and around Buenos Aires. The COM
pany has an authorized and issued
share Of capital Of s4,500.o0o (Argen-
tine gold.)
Swift & Co. were the first United
States packers to enter the Argentine
field They control the Cha. Swift de la
Plata in Argentina and Cha. Swift de
South America. The La
Plata Storage Company reported paid
up capital OF s $500 coo tgo,dt III 1915.
Armour & Co. opened new frigo-
rifico In 1915 at La Plata, said to be