MEAT FOR U.S.A.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 326, 12 January 1914, Page 6

MEAT FOR U.S.A.

EX PECT ED Al’ STR A LIAN EXPANSION.

[PKKS3 ASSnciATIOX—COI’YRtGnT.I Washington. Jan. 10.

There is a marked increase in the importation of foodstuffs, especially fresh beef cat:!., largely from England. .Australia sent 550.0001bs through the Pacific ports in November.

According to the Department of Commerce a large expanilvn in the Australian supplies is likely.

PROSPECTS BEFORE THE

IN INFS TRY.

The prospects or the development of a trade l»e tween Australia and San Francisco in meat, wool, and butter, forms the subject of some interesting remarks by Mr. Cou-ul-General A. C. Ross, C. 8.. the British Consul-General at S.-.n Francisco. in a report recently ! forwarded to the Board of Trade. With ! regard to live stock, he states that there appears to Le r-o prospect of [profitable business in live stock on ae- | count of prices. As there is little pasIture for fattening animals in Caliiornia, they would have to be sent to Arizona or Nevada ami returned later on lat a cost of 8 dollars per head. This | expense, added to the cost of freight t fru.u Australia <6O dollars per Lead at {present) and the purr lease of the anijinrl. makes it to compete ! uitli hx-al tattle selling ;.t present at 7 Ito 71 cents per K> lit? weight. The ■ pro-peets oi’ the frozen ami chilled | meat trade ar--, howe.er, more e;i!couraging. The report states that the i importation of fresii m«-.t is a com- | part tivelj new 1 usine s, the first ship- | me at having been made within the past 112 months. Var:.; :, difficulties have I arisen before and since importation was ’ coaimeric-cd; some ot tae.ii have been got over and the < .;>er.s are not insurmountable.

Chilled beef up to now has not been imported, as the Lnitcd States laws do not permit of the use of formaldehyde in the preservation of food-stuffs, 'this chemical forms*an essential part of the Linley process, which has been so successful in Australia and elsewhere, but possibly some other-preparation will be found which has the same effect, but does not come witbin the provisions of tilt United States laws, or die.meals raay be dispensed aim entirely. Tnerc appears to be little prejudice against I this meat simply because it is frozen, I but retailers are said not to be sufficiently caretui in defrosting; and have ’ been inclined to da this t«xj rapidly : ‘ hence ta-’ quality has been somewhat ; lowered before selling to the consumer. I Local meat usually comes from animals ■ under ti.r.s- aid. It is. the re ‘ore, , more tend -r ami in smaller joints tiian the Au t.i .1.’.-.. Ihe Australian meat jis rro.n rot:;--;..-sr animals, and is, therefore. nio.e i-.utur. . au! doc-.; not cut up 'into lh<- <-'..npii:::.:ve!y small pieces v :-ieh are t-biedy :.i demand in San > l-.-o. Pos-ioly the Australian ex- ; , , ■ . could n:>- -t triis difficulty by . t.-rir.g ><>nng-; animals. At pre- . t!v» trad- v.ith San Francisco I;.- warrant i tnis. but-something of ...fid will have to Ire done if the local ■ is to lie satisfactorily catered for,

... .i thing points to the possibility ■ .-.ii extension of trade and the ad- ■ . .vbiiity of a .special class of meat bet. g prepares u. the market. The n.-st customers at present are the ocean .~ learners frequenting the port, and the .'.t?rers <>« mining and lumber camps u-hero large bodies of men are boarded l»y their employers. The increased shipping that is expected after the . opening of the Panama Canal is an i;n--1 portant item in the prospects of this trade. Tin’s same event may also make i possible competition from the ArgenItine, where the initial cost of meat is said to be lower than in Australia. The market for Australian meat is not restricted to the Pacific Coast, for during tiie greater part of the tear there .wifi be no difficulty in sending frozen i meat by rail to such places a.s railway J freight will permit, ’iue raih.ay eomI pames already use a large nuihL.r of ; refrigerator cars for the transport of fresh fruit during the summer months, which no doubt could be made use of [for meat. However, it is possible that I with tiie present substantial diminution of the cattle stock of the L’niied States, and the rapidly increasing population of tlie country, a demand will be created which will take up the supplies from both South America and Australia, /fae freight from Australia is l}c. per lb., and there is no prospect of anv re- | ductiod in this. Ihe consignments are not large enough to fill a vessel, and there is never a certainty of a return cargo to Au-traiia. as lumber, canned salmon, fruit, and barley are the principal bulky products rrom San 1-ran- , cisco.