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263
[1912
there is (at all events so far as Islington is concerned) an enormous decrease
in the number of cattle, which were mainly English or Scotch, slaughtered in
the local slaughterhouses for consumption by the inhabitants.
There can be no doubt that the supply of meat to this country is one of
the utmost importance, and, therefore the following facts respecting its importation
into England are of interest. In 1905, 419,906 live animals (according
to figures given in the Meat Trades Journal, and quoted in The Times of 24th
June, 1913, were imported from the United States, while in 1912 there were only
39,987. Similarly those imported from Canada numbered 148,718 in 1905,
and only 6,800 in 1912; while the number from other countries was
1,515 in 1905, and 2,125 in 1912. No live animals were imported from
Argentina. The total imports of live animals were therefore 565,139 in 1905,
and only 48,912 in 1912. On the other hand the imports of frozen and chilled
meat as given in The Times were from the United States, 111,610 tons in 1905,
and only 305 in 1912. Again, the importation from Australia was 137,765 tons
in 1905, and 57,731 in 1912; while the imports from Argentina were 128,008
tons in 1905, and 340,679 in 1912. Various other imports were 1,565 tons in
1905, and 2,025 in 1912.
Thus there was a total from these sources alone of 378,948 tons imported
in 1905, as against 400,740 in 1912.
The shortage in the importation of meat from the United States and from
Australia has been more than met by the imports from Argentina. If this
source, however, should fail, there would then undoubtedly be a shortage of
meat in this country, and as a consequence an increase in the prices; indeed,
the price of Argentine meat is increasing, which is stated to be due to three
factors, which were given in The Times as follows:—
1. Greater consumption and smaller production in the United States
market which was the principal provider of this product; the number of cattle
in the United States has diminished noticeably, and this fact is again explained
by the Ministry of Agriculture of that country which speaks as follows in its
report for the year 1909:— "As it was not possible to consume or export all
the cattle ousted from the plains of the west by dry farming, the course of
development has been that the extensive production of cattle has given place
to the intensive cultivation of small farms. In consequence of this, the price
of maize rose 51 per cent. in 1908. On the other hand, the price of land rose