Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1888-12-27

| i-iNf Nifhk Dtftfntf+l
How much OF "a factor in the meat
trade OF this country canned beef has
become, and Just what relation it bear
to the cattle growing industry, * not
GENERALLY known and in con~epliclc,
not appreciated.
The official reports from the clsf ON
house show that for the nine mont hs
of this year ending Oct. ! the exports
oI canned beef amounted to 30.3IS..
2I3 pounds, valued AT 81, ,5J2 ,Syl
Add one-third for balance of the year
TO- l6,oSi pounds, valued M $500
SO go, making total of annual ex.
ports of the value OF SO. IO,. .s5s 90
Tier Is canned for domestic use about
lorty million pounds, or three million
dollars worth. This gives ils oven
eighty million pounds as the product
of canned beef in this country, worth
III round numbers six and "a hall mill
ION dollars and representing a,S ,O62
head OF cattlr. s~.
| tanners stun represents really "a
much larger number of cattle than
| that above ment Ioned, for the reason
that as the business is conducted IN
ihls country only portion Of each
ANIMAL goes INTO cans. The first class
oi canners are fat enough, so that the
RIBS and IONS may be refrigerated and
sold as dressed beef. The second ella ss
are very thin, but the telnlcrloin is
| taken ior refrigeration. thus leaving
nearly all the carcass for the cans
Without definite figures ON this point
| We 1eel sale IN saying tho coarser but
really richer portions of nearly n mill
ION head Of eat tie are annually put in
cans.
The cait le used for this purpose are
largely brought from Texas and the
southwest, and the canning business is
due from the fact oi that region find
ing ready market for its products.
l,eSt roy the canning business and YOU
destroy the market for fully three
quarters of II million head of cattle
| each year.
This branch of the meat business il
carried ON IN tins country under p,.,I
mar circumstances and to great disad-
vantage. There are six largest ablisl-
| nrnts IN South America, where lat
eati IL can he bought by he million for
I lac value of the hide, tongue and tai
low, these being the only portions of
tle animal having ANY commercial
value. 'Fhe meat l. thus furnished
Tree, and ITS only rosi on the English
and ther foreign markets is that oi
canning, boxing and shipping. Nir.
tually the same conditions exist IN
some of the French and ENGLISH col
ONES.
II eat tie raiSers in his country were
forced To sell their steers at he price
oi the hides, tallow and tongues, they
would AT once declare the bIsiness n
failure and engage in some ot her call
ing. And why j. not this the ease
Iiree-quartcis OF n million of the car
tie put on our market every year are
unfit for the butcher trade and cannot
he sold to the butcher for any price
Normally they would have to be killed
at home and the hides alone he
shipped
But the business enterprise of our
people has developed the dressed beef
system. which enables the large opera
tor 10 buy those thin cattle. reirige-
rat" he loins and sell them at such
prices as To Justify paying for the
whole animal. The old COW and the
poor steer that sells in Kansas city
or Chicago ior 81 .3o per hundred. and
weighs 500 pounds. supplies fifty To
sixty pounds of tendcrlon steak thai
sells ior eleven or twelve cents II
pound. Tins added to the value oi
thc hide. the hoof~. horns and other
oilal, returns the money paid for the
animal. aud leaves the canning meat
Tree, subject only To it's cost of can
nina, packing. ctc.. or placing il on u
par with the canning establishments
of other countries and rendering oI,r
romlri ition with them u possibility.
Restrain he shipment of refrigerated
nl..il sanl liz. rlnnInn hIIAllls..- LII
country would bc at an end nmn,li
daiely. Instead of .oin. INTO cans to
Iced the millions of poor scattered
over tod : earth. the old COWS wouid
20 10 Iced the Nulttres and coyotes of
t I'e plains.
And yet today We are met by :;
proposition To have II law passed in |
al the states, prohibiiln. the ship |
nleni al refrigerated meat or carcass
l'i iodlict IN amy form from one stat.to |
anoihc or from one city Ia anot her |
IN he same state. When this Is done. |
I hen good bye Ia The cannin. business /
and ihe sale al poor cattle. Then the
Nultlires Will rcNel in he abundance oi |
canIon on the plains and the poor |
house viii open It's doors to the VIZ
I IN vino ~ 50 uniort lnate as to own
eat lie IN The son invest and siI owe