AMERICA & MEAT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1570, 14 October 1912, Page 8

AMERICA & MEAT.

cV MS'S,,SHE..IM^ i gi!,T IT SOON?

An article whioh indicates that the United States of America'may in the near future have to resort to frozen meat from 'outside', pastoral countries has been forwarded to a prominent local meat firm. The article in question, which deals with the high, price of meat, is from the San Francisco "Chronicle'' of September 12, which "journal is understood to be ono of •the strongest, if not- the strongest, protectionist' paper in tho United States. The article runs asunder:—

< J'-It seems evident that the high prices of meat have come to stay. Our best ranges are being rapidly devoted to agriculture, low prices for cattle and high prices ior.. feed for. some years, depleted the ranges by the marketing of steers at an early age, and, in spito of'tty higfr' turiff oil wool and. mutton, the number of sheep/in th.b country is steadily diminishing., . ' • "'AH the ranges seem now to have all tho stock they can properly carry, and nobody can suggest any means of ing our meat supply except by J raising stock on cultivated farms, which means a higher cost. Any reduction of the tarirf Ijii wool, and u reduction now seems probable, will tend to still (further decreasu the number 'of our sheep. ... , "Under these conditions Germany, Which, is a." highly-protected country, is seriously considering facilitating tlm in traduction of frozen beef from Argentina. Great Britain has-long consumed large quantities of frozen meat, both hcef and mutton- . .... .-•

"We may have j:o do the same for the relief of our people, and it is not believed that ev<Sn 'the entire removal of our 6 per cent, tariff on meat would seriously-affect the prices of live stock. Probably it would not seriously aifect retail prices of meal, but--it would be all that-can 1» done in that direction.

"It is not our experience that the removal of duties on staple products affects prices;-'' Our ' markets are so great tliat ' thoy fix the prices, and no importations seem able to affect prices to consumers, except in the ease of manufactured goods, where the item of labour is large, oi in minor, agricultural and other products ■wbich are not staples, consumed in large quantities by all families. When wo abolished the duty on coffee there was no change in price. An emergency removal of duty on bituminous coal had no effect whatever on prices. Hides are higher today , than when they paid duty. 'Reciprocity' has liad no effect on prices of sugar.. The protectionist, therefore, need . not .'view with alarm' uny reduction of * the duty on meat which will admit frozen ; beef and mutton. Nor, on the other i hand, have consumers much to hope for. "Frozen imported meat never sell at quite the price of domestic meat, even ; though great quantities of domestic meat are frozen, for I months before consumption. and consumers never know it.

"Whether a reduction of duty on meat will or .will not affect prices to consumers can only be known by trial. It would require some, time to create a market for imported frozen meat, for our people are finicky, and object to what they aro not used to. . , "But there is no donbt that hore, as in Germany, there will bo_a demand from non-producing communities for a trial of imported meat, ■ which Congress, however tho election goes, will find it difficult to Tefuso." '•

Mr. Jas.- Little, of Dalmeny Park, Woodgrove, has imported a valuablb Shire stallion, which has a very fiiio show record in England. His namo is Moors Bridegroom, and he is by Moors Kitchener, his dam beins Evenal Baroness. Tho dam is by Boss'? Golden Bar. The horse was fourth at tho London Show in a class of GO, second at tho Koyal, at Doncastcr, and reserve champion, beating all tho horses placed before him at London. He was shown at the Lincolnshire Show (tho liomo of the Shiro horse), and four other shows, gaining first prizes at them all. Unfortunately Lord Rothschild's champion, tho horse which beat 'him at tho Royal Show at Doneaster, was not shown aftor that show, so Air. JvitHo's horse did ■not "ot a chancc of reversing that result, which, in , the opinion of a good many first-class judges, ho could have done.