88 THE FARMER'S OUTLOOK 



marised, nor can large shipments from Uruguay 

 with a cattle stock estimated at 9 million head, be 

 looked for. The maintenance of supplies in the 

 quantities which we have recently been receiving, 

 even if the most optimistic view of the position be 

 taken, appears to be precarious. 



Complementary to the question of supplies is 

 that of demand. Will the door to imports of 

 frozen meat into Europe which up till recently 

 has been " banged, bolted and barred " by hostile 

 tariffs and veterinary regulations be opened 

 sufficiently wide to admit appreciable quantities ? 

 Some progress has been made. The Italian tariff 

 has been reduced to 12 frs. 1 and the Swiss tariff 

 to 10 frs. per 100 kilos. Imports through France 

 have been freed of the Inspection Tax of 1 fr. per 

 100 kilos. During 1912 the aggregate of all 

 frozen meat to Europe, of which Italy and 

 Switzerland took the largest amount, totalled 

 20,000 tons, showing an increase of 3,000 tons on 

 the figures of 1911. Though Holland and Bel- 

 gium are likely consumers, and both Italy and 

 Switzerland will gradually increase their imports, 

 undoubtedly the interest of the future lies with 

 the attitude to be taken up by Germany. The 

 relaxation of the duties in Germany has taken the 

 form of allowing certain municipalities to import 

 meat on a reduced scale of duty for a certain 

 1 100 Kilos = 220 lbs. 1 Franc = iod. 



