The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-02-02

Nhlle opinions are being formed as
TO the prospective supply of cattle and
its effect upon prices it would be well
to inquire as to the supply in other
countries than this, and whether that
may not have effect upon values. For
that reason an article in Harper's
Monthly for November ON the "other
end of the hemisphere referring to
South America, by w. Z. Curtis, for
merly secretary of the South Ameri-
can commission, is interesting reading,
particularly that portion which mar
rates facts in regard to the live stock
interests of the Argentine Republic
and OF Uruguay. While not entirely
new, there is some information which
is fresh.
Mr.. Curtis starts out with the state
ment that while 1t costs fifty dollars
to place a carcass of Chicago dressed
beef in the markets of London, the
estancieros of the Argentine Republic
are shipping from seven to ten thousand
carcasses a month and those of Uru-
quay almost as many at one half that
sum. In another place the writer says
that in 1905 there were Al millions
sheep in the United States, seYenty-tWo
millions in Australia and one-hundred
millions in Australia and one-hundred
millions in the Argentine Republic. In
the United States there are two-thirds
of a sheep to every inhabitant; in the
Argentine Republic there are twenty
five sheep and in Uruguay forty sheep
to every man, woman and child. In the
United States there are forty millions
of horned cattle to population of sixty.
million, the Argentine Republic and
Uruguay have thirty-eight millions Of
cattle to population of four-and-a-half
millions. In Uruguay with a popula-
ton of five hundred thousand there are
eight millions of cattle, twenty millions
of sheep and two millions of horses, or
sixty head of stock to each man, wo-
man and child.
Single ranches exist in the Argentine
Republic. which for the area enclosed
by wire fences and for the number of
cattle branded, are larger than fonr of
the largest in the United States COM
bined. The cattle business is becom-
ing monopoliZed by vast corporations.
Rich Englishmen and Scotchmen and
Irishmen are combining their interests,
leasing or buying empires of territory
and stocking it with the best breeds.
Companies with five million dollars
capital are common, and those with ten
millions not rare. The governments Of
Argentine and Uruguay substitute the
business of exporting frozen meat, and
the Germans as well as the English and
Scotch are taking advantage of the
liberal concession. The governments
will guarantee dividends of per cent
per annum, upon an investment of
$500, 900, or more, provided the annual
exports amount to 10000 carcasses
of beef for every one hundred
thousand dollars invested. The Liebig
Extract of Beef Co., has SO, O0O, 900 in
vested at Fray Benton, little town OH
the Uruguay river, where it consumes
half million head of cattle year
and pays dividends of "a per cent. The
London Il River Plate Frozen Meat
Co., is becoming as great monopoly
as the Standard Oil Co., and is now
shipping 5000 carcasses a week to En-
gland on refrigerator ships constructed
for that purpose.
These are facts which are worth con-
sidering when talk is heard in regard
to beef famine When the sup
ply of cattle in this country is not
more than sufficient for home consump-
tion then may better prices be expected,
but if an increased foreign demand has
to be relied upon to dispose of the sur
plus, it would be wise to ponder over
the facts given in regard to the capa-
bilities of the Argentine Republic and
Uruguay as "a cattle country World.