1910.] Cost of Transporting Live Stock. 



ioi 5 



The cost of transporting live stock by road and rail 

 in the United States to the principal markets, and thence 

 to the markets of the United Kingdom 

 Cost of Transporting has recently been investigated by the 

 Live Stock and Meat. Department of Agriculture in the 

 United States,* and although the pre- 

 sent cost cannot be exactly compared with the cost in earlier 

 years it is considered that there has been an economy in 

 several directions. In the first place the rail and ocean rates 

 for carriage are less, and, in addition, the size and efficiency 

 of the cars and vessels have been increased, while cheaper 

 methods have been devised for handling traffic at the stock 

 yards. One feature which has led to an appreciable saving is 

 the reduction of loss in transit owing to mechanical improve- 

 ments and legal regulations. 



Another development in the same direction has been the 

 transport of dead meat instead of live animals to a larger 

 extent than was formerly the case. New slaughtering centres 

 have been established nearer to the sources of supply than are 

 the older meat-packing cities east of the Missouri River. 



The average cost of transporting cattle from the grazing 

 lands of Texas to Chicago was estimated in 1908 at from 

 32s. 1 id. to 54s. 1 id. per head. This included two distinct 

 stages, the first of which involved an outlay of 13s. 3d. and 

 covered the cost of driving from the farm to the local station, 

 railway charges, food and attendance until the stock reached 

 their destination in Montana or Dakota. Here they remain 

 to be fattened, and when ready to be turned into beef are sent 

 on by rail to Chicago. The cost for the journey from Montana 

 or Dakota is estimated at from igs. 8d. to 355. qd. per head. 



Store stock are also, commonly sent from Texas to feeding 

 grounds in Kansas, Colorado and Oklahoma, and thence, 

 after fattening, to Chicago, New York and London. The 

 estimated cost of transport between each of these centres, 

 including food and attendance, is given as follows: — From 

 Texas to Kansas, 4s. 6<i. to 145. 3d.; from Kansas to Chicago, 

 18s. $d. to 335. 5^.; from Chicago to New York, 16s. 8d. to 



* "Cost and Methods of Transporting Meat Animals," Year Book of the 

 Department of Agric. U.S., 1908. 



