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- 



shillint^ a pound, enterprise with skill and capital lively 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 transport. 

 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 (ex- 

 cept 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 ob- 

 jection 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 Fresh meat 



• 1 1 1 • from 



avoided by the importation of fresh meat, and a America 



may pre- 

 plan with this object, recently adopted by an vent exces- 

 sive rise of 

 American company, has been attended with a price in 



Europe. 



large measure of success. The steam-ships in 



