Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-18
BIGGER DEMAND
NOW FOR MEAT
Signing of Armistice Is One
Reason Why Prices
Are High

its Bureau of Public Relations,
issued the following statement, to-
day. regarding present meat prices
and the probable trend in the future.
The Associations membership in
cludes large and small packers.
The situation to-day in the meat
industry is just about what Herbert
Hoover and other Food Administra-
ton officials said it would be, as far
back as the first of the year." says
the statement
That high prices are caused by
heavy demands rather than any con-
troll aimed to stimulate production,
has recently been illustrated very
clearly in the case of hogs. When
the minimum price fixed for hogs
was removed, the Food Administra-
ton predicted that the prices might
60 still higher. The prediction is
row being verified.
High prices will continue for a
long time. Each day that brings
final peace nearer, means a greater
call on this country for meat. The
supply of meat is dependent first of
all on the supply of live stock.
European herds have been reduced
by war. To that extent, world pro-
duction of live stock is crippled.
Live stock on farms in the United
States at the beginning of this year
exceeded the number at the begin
ming OF 1918 by 1,036,000 cattle,
4,213,000 hogs and 96S,000 sheep.
More Mouths to Feed
-
ing reduced the demand for meat,
has given US more than 200,000,0O0
additional mouths to feed, either
wholly or in part. AS shipping be-
comes available, an increasing num-
ber of hungry nations will be acces-
sible for provisioning.
Great numbers of meat animals
have been dressed since the first of
tie year. Hogs are now coming in
to American markets in dwindling
quantities and in lesser numbers
than a year ago. Yet pork products
must form a large part of our ex-
ports. The price of hogs remain high.
Statistics now available as to the
effect of war on foreign herds, indi-
cate that swine in Italy have de-
creased from 2,50s,000 in 1908 to
100000 in 1918: in France, from
7,057,000 in 1913 to 4,16S,000 in
1917; in Germany, from 25,592, 900
in 1918 to 100000 in 1918; in the
United Kingdom, from $4,000 in
1914 to 2,44S,000 in 1918: in Den
mark. from 2,497,000 in 1914 to
$4,000 in 1918. and in the Neither
Lands. from 1,350,000 in 1918 to
1,S50,0OO in 1917. Germany sucked
meat animals out of the countries
she occupied, according to Mr..
Hoover. Belgium lost third of her
hogs and more than three-fourths
of her cattle. Cattle decrease severe
~ in many other countries.
Before the war, England import
ed seventy-five per cent of her bacon.
About half of the imported bacon
came from America and the other
half from Denmark and Holland.
But during the war. a shortage
OF feedstuffs left the swine herds of
Holland and Denmark just adequate
for domestic supplies. These coun-
tries cannot resume export until they
obtain sufficient feedstuffs.
Millions Depend OH United States
The numbers of liberated peoples,
who were inaccessible before hostili-
ties ceased, but whom the United
states HOW Will ll6lp W lSSuS ilSluoo'
according to a very recent statement
by Mr.. Hoover, nearly 100000 in
Belgium, 2O,000,000 in Poland,
100000 in Czecho-Slovakia, 49,
100000 in Rumania, 100000 or
100000 in Greater Siberia, and
20.000,000 in Finland, Armenia and
other countries.
This takes no account of the food
being sent into the Central Empires,
in order to avert anarchy and gov
ernmental insolvency.
Mr.. Hoover estimates German
shipping around 20,0O0,000 tons.
This i'll gradually become available
for food cargoes. AS it does, a lar
ger and larger part of the demand
for food can be reached.
''The brunt of meat export and
production will be borne by the
United States, South America and
Australia. Live stock i'll Argentina
has not increased as much as one
could wish. Australian herds, hurt
some time ago by drought, are now
being replenished. Our own live
stock has not increased commensur-
ately with foreign needs.
I'm countries where disorder is
now raging, there is tendancy for
peasants not to market their pro-
ducts.
Demand Exceeds Supply
1.-THE whole situation for some
time to come, then, probably will
be one in which the demand for
live stocks and it's products greatly
exceeds the supply. This means that
live stock will continue to bring high
prices. Cheap bacon and cheap beef
cannot be made from expensive hogs
and costly cattle, more than live
stock can be raised cheaply on high
priced feedstuffs with expensive
labor.
How keen is the foreign demand
is shown by the fact that when the
Austrian Food Burean fixed maxi
mum retail prices effective in Vienna
January /. it set first-class beef as
high as $2.S4 a pound.
IF order comes out of the Russian
chaos, the world demand will be
still further augmented. Horsefesh,
which was selling in Moscow for
half cent pound in 1914, is bring
ing $3.50 in 1919.
Low meat prices must wait until
European production is in good
swing again. Meanwhile, American
farmers and packers can only con-
tinue their strenuous efforts and full
cooperation with Governmental
agencies, to keep production at the
maximum and prices at the mini
mum possible"
Sur SIUppEn WHERE John