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Show fiSLrvestock-l i Tq r I "Is the reindeer a menace to our present source of meat food supply?" This question is being asked these days, as the extent of the reindeer population in Alaska is realized. Fostered by the United States government, govern-ment, the reindeer population of Alaska Al-aska has developed until there are now 000,000 head in "domestic" herds, raised under much the same condition us surround our beef cattle and sheep industry on the range. Reindeer thrive under climatic and feed conditions condi-tions which would not permit ordinary beef cattle to survive. Last year, it is reported that 6,- 000 reindeer were slaughterd in Alaska, Al-aska, frozen and shipped to the L'nited States. This year, the number estimated at 10,000 to 12,000. The carcasses average 150 pounds. These carcasses are loaded aboard refrigerated refriger-ated boats and most of the supply moves to Seattle, where the meat is shipped to the thickly settled centers east of the Rocky Mountains. Recently, Re-cently, the San Francisco market was invaded and at least one large San Francisco cafe features Alaska reindeer rein-deer meat on its menu. While this amount of meat is negligible insofar as the meat food supply of the United .'' ; ( ' .-:):::. the 'e is said to I !... ;. ..c: :;r-::t in ti.t bL-.r.t.-s and. I '. : v . p;'..usre available for an im- j n -e devc-lujunent, which might I nrov.: !o be a ha':ail to the present source of our meat food supply. Reindeer meat compares somewhat with the California venison. People are said to eat the meat a3 a novelty but few seem to care for it as a steady diet. From the restaurant i standpoint, the carcass goes too heavily forequarter and the neck and shoulders are very wastey making the I actual amount of saleable meat in a I carcass small. With prices slightly higher than are being paid on the Pacific Coast for beef, meat jobbers have found that reindeer meat proves to be very high in price. Probably the greatest objection the consumer may find against reindeer meat is that there is no sanitary protection pro-tection thrown about the business as is the case with beef, lamb and pork. I The United States bureau of animal industry regards Alaska reineed meat in the same category with wild game ! and therefore has no jurisdiction as l far as inspection for disease or whole-; whole-; someness is concerned. Neither has the American public ever "taken to" frozen meats of any kind. From the standpoint of agriculture ! as a whole, it should be remembered that beef cattle, sheep and hogs are an important part of our general structure, returning rich fertilizer value to the soil. The livestock business busi-ness takes a leading part in the financial fin-ancial structure of the agricultural '. program and should the Alaskan rein-: rein-: deer meat importations reach sizeable proportions, it might seriously threaten threat-en American livestock producers, through depreciating the value of domestic livestock. Considering beef, pork and mutton .s a major meat food we must recog-: recog-: 'ze the competitive element between .vch meat foods and practically every cf'-ei" art'cle of food particularly r.o"" '-y. rabbits and game in season. Th ;-.".::.' ion and distribution of j k pud mutton is under very st:i:t s-rv''-n in the interests of j .'r y ' ':e h-r.'th. This service rep-: rep-: re.-irr.s expenditure of a large sum of mil"'" y, a '.arje share of which is bo T.c dreet'.v by the producer. Apparent' Ap-parent' y with the tendency to increase pioduci'on of many things that enter en-ter directly into competition with our major meat food supply some attention atten-tion is due to the question of protecting pro-tecting the public health in a similar manner. The cattle industry in particular has passed through a most serious period of depression and is just emerging into a more profitable era. No one competitive commodity is going go-ing to make heavy inroads on the consumption of our major list but it is the great number of so-called meat substitutes representing largely fads and fancies that may hurt. We shouldn't try to attempt to restrict the development of food lines but we should see to it that such activities are surrounded by proper safeguards in the interests of public good. |