AMERICAN MEAT SUPPLY.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 151, 1 June 1877, Page 7

AMERICAN MEAT SUPPLY.

Evidence of the success attained in the exportation of fresh meat from America to Great Britain continues to increase. We learn that l,79b\ooolbs of fresh beef were shipped from New York to Great Britain during January, and in the first week of February no less than 1,200,0001bs pf beef and mutton arrived at Liverpool from New York. It is also stated that a firm in New York are expending £32,000 in buildings especially adapted for the slaughter of cattle and sheep. The English graziers were busily engaged, when the last mail left, in discussing, through the agricultural papers, the best means to be adopted for counteracting the influence of the meat importations on the live stock market. Some urge t : ie necessity for doing away with the middle men or cattle dealers, and every farmer selling direct to the butcher at so much per lb live weight, while others contend that every effort must be made to improve the stock in Great Britain and thereby raise the general quality of the meat, but this will be rendered less effective by the fact that the Americans, encouraged by the success of their exportations thus far, are obtaining better bred" animals from all quarters with the view of raising tbe standard of their herds. Not a few of those who have taken part ul the correspondence assert that freeholders in Great Britain are able successfully to compete with the Americans in supplying meat, and that in all other cases rents must come down, so that in tbe course of time B litis i graziers will not be placed at such a disadvantage as might have been expected. With the view of bringing the American meat into disrepute, the butchers of one or two towns in Eng- , land bought up a number of old bulls ! and cow?, which they offered for sale as : American beef, but those interested in the success of the latter exposed the swindle, and took measures to prevent further deception.