Prospects of Trade. 
77 
examination in the case of all bacon sent into the United 
States of America ; and other governments are getting equally 
particular. To advert for a moment to the question of unfair 
foreign competition, I would like to quote from Mr. Birch- 
enough’s Report on his “ Commercial Mission to South Africa,” 
which epitomises a pressing grievance that is even more acutely 
felt to-day than when written in 1903 : — 
“ By far the greater part of the bacon and hams imported into South Africa 
come from Great Britain. A certain proportion is of British and Irish origin, 
especially in the better qualities. The general practice, however, is for British 
firms to bring over what may be called their raw material in brine from the 
United States, Canada, and elsewhere. It is then cured or 'finished ofi"' in 
England, packed in salt, slipped in canvas, and despatched to its destination” 
(as British Produce'). 
I trust I have said sufficient to sustain my point that there 
is room in England for improvement in controlling the foreign 
supplies, and that a studj' of our competitors’ methods gives us 
food for serious thought. 
And now to come to the 
Position and Prospects. 
Taken on the whole, the prospects appear to me to be 
anything but unfavourable if viewed from a broad standpoint, 
though in the immediate future the industry will undoubtedly 
be curtailed as the result of the abnormal prices which have 
lately ruled, ami continue to rule, for feeding materials. So far 
as pigs are concerned the farmers alwaj’S have a ready market 
right at their (loor. I cannot answer for all, but so far as my 
owq firms ' are concerned, we are open to give best market 
pricefe for all the prime quality pigs we can get every day in 
the year. Under present conditions our markets are certainly 
at the mei’cy of the foreigner, whose fluctuation of supplies 
largely affects the home prices. 
Much depends, upon the methods pursued by the farmers. 
If, as in so many cases hitherto, they are content to 
follow the course of their ancestors, oblivious of the evolu- 
tion that has been going on around them, no legislative efforts 
will achieve the desired end, and from a close knowledge of 
the farming fraternity, particularly those who handle pigs, 
I am constrained to say that there has always been a tendency 
to magnify disadvantages and to correspondingly minimise 
advantages accruing from the various branches of their 
business. 
* Messrs. Chas. & Thos. Harris A: Co., Ltd., Calue, Wilts, and the West of 
England Bacon Co., Ltd., Redruth, Cornwall. 
