SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK. — PART I. 79 



Denmark had 197 head per 1000 acres then, and 115 head now, or a loss 

 of 82 head per 1000 acres. Germany, a quarter of a century ago, had 

 three time as many sheep per head of population as now. The Father- 

 land now has fewer cattle per capita of the people than then. Holland! 

 and Switzerland have only half as many sheep per head of population 

 now, as they had two and a half decades ago, and Belgium only a fourtli 

 as many. In these countries during that time the flocks of sheep alono 

 have actually decreased from 104 million to 75 million, showing an actual 

 loss of 28 per cent. At the same time the increase in the population wan 

 25 per cent, thus making the comparative loss much greater. The com 

 bined population of Germany, France, Austria-Hungarj', Switzerland, 

 Sweden. Denmark, Belgium and Holland, twenty-five years ago was 140 

 million. This human family has now increased to 173 million people 

 or 24 per cent. Meantime the combined herds of cattle of these countries 

 have only increased from 48 million to 58 million head, or about 20 per 

 cent." 



'•The relative scarcity of meat upon the continent is readily seen by 

 the excessively high prices paid there for all carcass meats. These prices 

 average 100 per cent higher wholesale than similar meat sell for in the 

 United States, and 30 to 50 per cent higher than they do in England, even 

 in the face of the facts that labor and other continental items of .produc- 

 tion are cheaper than either in Great Britain or United States. The 

 growing scarcity of the worlds edible meats is produced by the two 

 causes previously named; the faster increase of the human race in por- 

 portion to the increase of Abattoir animals, and the improved condition 

 of the working classes, which causes a greater per capita consumption of 

 meats than existed two decades ago. The per capita consumption of meats 

 in the United States has increased fully 25 per cent during the last 15 

 years. In Great Britain it has nearly doubled, in the same time. On 

 the continent the demand as measured by the very high local prices of 

 meats has largely increased, but the increased consumption has been 

 limited by the virtual exclusion of foreign meats, and the insufficiency 

 of domestic herds to supply the local demands. "With improved indus- 

 trial conditions and continuing high meat tariffs or other means for 

 excluding the surplus of other countries the masses of the continental 

 nations, must desist from meat eating or pay exorbitant prices for this 

 essential staff of life." 



That was written a year ago. Let me see now what is the actual 

 condition to-day justifying absolutely the statements made in the article 

 just read. This is a review of the situation in Germany as it exists now, 

 and was brought about by a meeting, which occurred not long ago when 

 an appeal was made by the consuming class in Germanj- for the opening 

 of the country to foreign meat supplies. 



"The feature of the meeting which will perhaps justify this brief re- 

 view of its proceedings is the definite and authoritative exhibit which 

 v/as made of the degree to which the market value of meat producing 

 eniirals has been increased in Germany by the influence of the meat iri- 

 spection law. Beginning with the statement that in other European 



