OCR Text |
Show FALLING OFF IN EATING OF MEAT WASHINGTON, March 12. Evidence Evi-dence that tho public made general response to the food administration's appeal for increased production and decreased consumption of moat is shown in statistics furnished tho food administration today by the department depart-ment of agriculturo. Meat animals In the United States increased 6,300,000 in the year ending January 1, 1918, tho increase consisting consist-ing of 1,247,000 'cattle, 3,781,000 hogs and 1,284,000 sheep. Inspections of beef for slaughter increased 2,039,651, or 24.5 per cent, but inspections of hogs decorased 21.3 per cent, more than 9,000,000 head, and Inspections of sheep fell off 21.9 por cent, approximately approxi-mately 2,500.000 head. The gains In availablo meat indicated indi-cated by these figures were what caused the food administration ro- cently to relax restrictions on meat consumption so that there might be greater saving of wheat for oxporL Exports of all' kinds of meat do-creased do-creased during the year, due to lack of ships. Prices paid for mer animals wore higher than evor befc i j. The average price of beef advanced 22.1 per cent, from 9.50 per 100 pounds in 1916 to $11.60 in 1917. Hogs advanced from ?9.60 to $15.10, a total of 57 per cent, and sheep increased 40 per cent, from $7.85 to $11. |