CHAPTER II. 



THE OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE IN 

 PRODUCTION. 



THE question now to be considered is to what extent the con- 

 sumption of animal foodstuffs within the Empire may in the 

 future be covered by its production of these articles. The 

 United Kingdom has hitherto been the principal market for the 

 exports of the surplus-producing countries both within the Empire 

 and outside it ; but it may not remain so in the future for the 

 surplus exports of foreign countries, owing to the competition of 

 countries on the Continent, and perhaps of the United States also, 

 for a share of these exports. The Empire's marked shortage in 

 animal foodstuffs is due to its high per capita consumption, com- 

 bined with the great development of manufacturing industries in 

 the United Kingdom, together with the prevalence of the extensive 

 forms of agriculture throughout the temperate parts of the Empire. 

 In other words, the average agricultural output per capita in those 

 parts of the Empire inhabited by white people bears a smaller 

 proportion to the average per capita consumption of foodstuffs, 

 than in most other regions inhabited by Europeans. In recent 

 years there have been but few indications that this proportion is 

 being increased. 



With regard to animal foodstuffs we have seen that between 1900 

 and 1913 a small increase took place in the proportion of the total 

 deficiency of the United Kingdom supplied by other parts of the 

 Empire. At the same time, however, the proportion of the total 

 consumption of the United Kingdom supplied from its home 

 production declined on the whole, and especially in dairy products. 

 The Empire, therefore, did not become appreciably less dependent 

 upon foreign countries for its supplies of animal foodstuffs in this 

 period. An examination of the per capita ratios of food-producing 

 animals to population in the British Empire supports this con- 

 clusion. The following table shows the per capita ratios of cattle, 

 sheep, pigs and " cattle units " in the United Kingdom, Canada, 

 South Africa, 1 Australia and New Zealand taken together, 2 in 

 the years 1890, 1900 and 1911. 



1 For South Africa the figures for 1904 have been taken under the years 

 1890 and 1900 since the figures for these years were not obtainable. This 

 makes no serious difference for comparative purposes. 



2 The productiveness of live-stock, as shown by the percentages of slaughter- 

 ings to enumerations, varies greatly in different parts of the Empire, being 

 much greater in the United Kingdom than, for example, in Australia. To this 

 extent the table is open to criticism. 



