INCREASING PRICES. 3 



moved steadily up, rising in a few years from Rapid rise 



in value of 



fivepence to sevenpence, ninepence, and even a meat, the 



compara- 



shilling a pound, enterprise with skill and capital tively high 



price of 



were called into rapid action to meet the grow- which pays 



for long 



ing demand. It became clear that an article so trans P r t' 

 valuable could cover the cost of carriage for 

 much longer distances than corn, a pound- 

 weight of meat being many times more valuable 

 than a pound of corn. All kinds of salted meat 

 were expected, and came ; but fresh meat (except 

 as live animals), from its perishable nature, was 

 not anticipated in any considerable quantity. 

 The cost of transporting live animals from any 

 great distance must obviously present a very 

 great difficulty. And a further and most serious 

 objection arose, in regard to those from nearer 

 European ports, in the risk of such live animals 

 bringing with them across the seas the contagion 

 of cattle-plague, or other pests, dangerous to 

 the live-stock of this country. All this could be Freshmea 



from 



avoided by the importation of fresh meat, and a America 



may pre- 

 plan with this object, recently adopted by vent exces- 

 sive rise of 

 American shippers, has been attended with a price in 



Europe 



large measure of success. The steam-ships in 

 B 2 



