The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-01
By JOHN ROBERTS

By JOHN ROBERTS
 The, recent tr end of meat production and consumption lin the United States is shown by figures of unusual interest com- piled by the bureau of animal industry, l United States Department of Agricul ture. A large increase in pork and beef consumption the very small amount of l mutton used In comparison with other l meats and interesting facts regarding l meat consumption abroad are strikingiy shown in a series of tables covering the calendar years 1914 to 1918, inclusive. It is believed the figures may be useful, es- pecially to tho$e engaged in the live stock and meat industries by assisting them to judge more a turately what the future | holds in store.
 1 Owing to the absence of complete census data on slauglhtering since 1909, many l of the figures are admittedly estimates,
 but the method of calculation makes them probably the most dependable to be had. ! Exact monthlN and annual records are ! kept by the bureau of animal industry of all live stock slaughtered under the fed l eral meat inSpection. By establishing per | centage relati bnships for the various ! classes of slaughter in 1909, it is possible to arrive at results for other years. Nec- ] essary allowance is made for yearly fluc- tuations in thd average weights of the animals slaughtered, also for the variable l amount of the dountry slaughter and sim liar important factors, al lof which have been carefully studied in the effort ta give increasing accuracy to the estimates.
 RECORD PRODUCTION IN 1918
 The production and consumption figures | for 1917 and 1d1S present some striking contrasts The total dressed-meat pro- duction, including lard for 19lS which
 amounted to 20 129, 800 900 pounds, has never before been approached in magnitude in the history of the live stock industry in this or any other country. The corre- | spending figurd for 1917 was 16,317 900,
 which indicates an increase in 1918 of i ora ctically 4OOhOOO GOO pounds. Three fourths of this enormous increase con sisted of pork and onefourth of beef. i There were slight gains also in veal and mutton.
 l The surplus in 1918 was so great that the extra demands for export made little impression on it. There was, neverthe- less, a very grfat increase in the over seas shipments as compared with 1917. The total shipments of meat and lard in 1917 amounted in round figures to slightly under 1750,OO00dO pounds; in 1918 they were slightly oyer 5000, GOO GOO pounds, or
 very nearly dou bled. It should be borne i1 mind, too, that these shipments do not include products sent in United States vessels to our forces abroad
 Turning now to the consumption totals, we find that the aggregate of dressed meat and lard consumed in the United
 States in 1917 was approximately 14,500-
 600 GOO pounds. while in 1918 it had risen
 to r, 7,250OOO 900 bounds. After allowing
 for the increasd in the population, this
 means an additi on of g pounds for every
 man, woman and child in the country | 1917 A YEAR OF SACRIFICE The foregoing figures regarding con- sumption may appear somewhat incred. ible to many who doubtless think that
 the food conser vation campaign of the
 past year should have brought about a
 different result A consideration of a
 few high lights bearing on the situation, however may show that there is nothing unreasonable in it after all To begin with, meat prod hcton in 1917 was lower than it had been for many years. In ad- jdition it was borne in upon our people that three years of war and U-boat atro-
 cities had brou ght about a dire need l for meats on the part of the European !allies which called for drastic and inn I mediate measures of relief. The Amer Iican consumer responded to the call at oEce there was A real tightening of belts and in conseuuence much meat was saved Iduring the year and consumption fell to a low point.
 THE FARMERS TO THE RESCUE | While the people as a whole through their abstinence averted the immediate crisis, it was the farmer who was the really big factor in the ultimate situa- tion The producer, of course, was ex lpected to do his part, but he did it with such powerful effect that in a single lyear the meat shortage was turned into a pronounced sur plus. Thus in 1918 there was not only meht enough to supply all foreign demands |compatible with the re- lstricted shipping facilities, but greatly enlarged quantity was available for the hcme consumptioh to boot.
 To be sure it cost the farmer more. much more to faed his animals and get
 them to market Likewise all other steps Ifrcm producer to consumer became more costly, hence the high prices. But the unprecedented prosperity of the people as
 a whole enabled them to afford the in. creased cost. In fact, the laboring class probably consumed more meat during the
 past year than in pre-war times.
 THE BEEF INCREASE
 The total number of cattle slaughtered
 in 1918 is estimated to be 15,750, 400, as against 1S 723 300 lin 1917 The average
 weights of the animals were practically the same for both years, and the beef pro-
 duoed from them was 6,6S6. .O0O.0O0 pounds Iia 1917 and 7641, ,O0dO OO0 pounds in 1918. This was remarkable achievement. as it would hardly have been credited that beef lgrcwers could increase their production 1 ,O0 GOO. 900 in one year.
 Exports of beef products increased 94
 per cent in 1918 as compared with 1917. The chief items of beef exports last year were 514, COG. eco pounds of fresh beef and l141 ,0000O0 pounds pf canned beef These figures compare with 2l5,OO0,000 and 66,- O0O.00O. respectively, in 1917.
 Il THE PORK INCREASE The hog natures quickly, therefore a lmuch more rapid increase would be looked for than was the case with cattle. Even ] so the results for 1918 can be described lonly as stupendoue- The hogs marketed lin 1918 numbered ees6l,7 ,700 as against 67. 4s3, lao in 19l7. Furthermore. the average