The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-10-15
MEXICAN STOCK YARDS OPERATED
 BY AMERICANS
At Least Ninety-Eight Per Cent of Stock Killed Comes From America-Argen-
 tina CompeteS

Mexico City. October 14.-Approxi mately 1000 head of cattle. hogs. sheep and goats are killed for meat in Mexico City iaily. and of this number at least 9s per cent are i'm ported from either the United States or Argentina. Seventy per cent of the imported stock comes from the United States, usually four days by train from the border, and the re- mainder Is brought from South Amer iea on steamers that traverse the distance between Buenos Aires and Vera Cruz in r days. In view of these figures ]. r. Primm and Lee Russell. both well known to cattle men of the southwest. are just com pleting a steekyards here which at present has a capacity of 7.500 head of stock and can be enlarged as ne- cessity demands.
 The stockyards, the first of the kind ever established in Mexico on modern plans, adjoins the city slaughter pens and a working agree ment has been made whereby all of the city kill is first received in the local yards and there prepared for market. Cold storage is an unknown thing in Mexico, the natives pre- ferring their meat fresh killed. but according to Mir. Primm. who is in active charge of the yards, q storage plant will be started as soon as the other enterprises are safely on their feet.
 The inauguration of the Amerlcan- owned stockyards Is said by it's back - CTS to be the forerunner of an earnest attempt by United States stockmen to replenish the Mexican herds that have been depleted by years of revo- lution. A branch of the Pure Bred Live Stock association of the United States has been established in Mex leo City and is offering its ser vices free of charge to ranchers and farmers in the selection of pure bred animals.
 Americans Favored
 According to best available figures there were some 15.000,000 native cattle in Mexico before the revolu- tion which started 10 years ago. There are less than 3,o00,000 now, and these are of low grade. Before the revolution conservative estimates say there were 40,000,000 sheep and goats compared to the scant 1000, 900 now roaming the hills. How raising has always been neglected and the number of swine in the country IS al- mots negligible. Indicative of the natives preference for meats other than pork Is the fact that out of the 1000 animals killed in Mexico City daily, less than 90 are hogs and these to supply a city of mill lion inhabitants.
 In order to facilitate shipments from the United States and to off set heavy consignments from Ar gentina, which are growing every month, American cattlemen have se- cured numerous concessions from the Mexican government whereby ami mals may be brought into Mexico with a minimum of difficulty. In. spection regulations have been re faxed as much as possible, and the railroads are making serious forts to move stock trains on express schedule.
 Strange as 1t may seem, Argentina cattle can be shipped to Mexico City cheaper than can animals from south Texas. although the former stock does not compare in quality with that from the United States. Cat tie shipments from all foreign coun- tries to Mexico during 1921 were moro than 168,000 head, of which 10000 came from south Texas.