Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-09-12

the ground Ii cut above this point
branches are liable 10 spring up and
mature crop of seed.
REDUCED PRICE or CATTLE.
The Senatorial committee are now in
yestigating the cattle industry in order
to find out why cattle are so low in
price, and to inquire into the private in
terests of the dressed-beef shippers.
The exercise of a very little common
sense would satisfy any one, says ). w.
Allerton in the Drover's journal, that
the dressed-beef shippers are simply en-
terprising men who do business on
purely business principles, and pay the
highest market price for cattle. Why
does every shipper wish 10 sehd his cat
tie TO Chicago. with Omaha, Kansas
CITY. St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsbnrg
and Buffalo all good markets? Ii is
simply because the dressed-beef men OF
Chicago pay the highest prices.
Why should not these senators pry
into the private business OF Marshal
Field? He certainly forces competition
with small merchants by buying goods
in large quantities and selling them
eheap' Why has this committee been
appointed by CongressP Is 1t to cover
up their own stupidity in passing laws
that have robbed the Western farmers.
Now the real question is, Why are cat
tie so lowpThat is what the farmer wants
to know. With the best foreign demand
for cattle we have ever had in the his
tory of shipments abroad, there must
be some substantial reasons for the
present great depreciation in price:
First came the animal bureau bill, and
with its cow-doctor scare of contagious
leuro-pneumonia, which caused Eng
land TO enact a law obliging us TO kill
all our cattle at the port OF landing.
This created an embargo tax OF 20 per
head while France and other countries
entirely prohibited the sale of our cattle
in those countries, and for time the
consumption of beef was stopped ut
home. Every commission man in the
Stock Yards knows that the last coz
vention held in Chicago on contagious
pleuro- pneumonia broke the value OF
cattle 81 per hundred; and, we all well
know there never was case OF conta-
0ious pleuro- pneumonia in this coun-
| try. Some old still-fed cows that had
been fed two or three years had the
lung spasm. caused by eating food with
all the sugar and alcohol taken from it.
Some years ago | went to Congress
with the Hon. Emery A Storrs 10 try to
have the government appoint inspectors.
so that when a shipper wished to ship
his products abroad he could have a
/ nd yyhnn IL
ed by our government rs healthy and
good food, then if france and Germany
would not take our products on account
of their not being healthy we could re-
taliate and prohibit the importation into
this country of their adulterated wines,
which daily demoralize our people. But
this practical law found no friends in
Congress.
Next comes the oleomargarine bill.
Congress proved by its investigation
that oleomargarine is good and nutri-
tious food for the human family, and
then preceded to put a tax OF ~ per
hundred on oleo, which amounted to n
direct tax of 80cents per head on all
the cattle in this country. To further
condemn the home industry it demanded
license of $3.50 from everyone who
sells oleomargarine. This was done
to drive all small dealers out of the
market, and, il possible, TO destroy the
entire industry, compelling us to ship
the oil to Holland and give her control
of the market of the world. Before the
passage of this law, when we used a
large amount of the oil at home, HOl-
land paid us 80 fiorins per 100 pounds.
After its passage Holland soon con
trolled the market and reduced the
price TO 40 iorins per 100 pounds.
Thus, by the government tax, together
with the reduction in the price of the
oil, the value of cattle has been reduced
So per head.
Thirdly, the duty was taken off of
green hides, which allowed France,
Germany, and all other foreign nations
to flood this country with green hides
This has reduced the value of steer So.
There ale about 100000 head of cattle
handled each week in the general mar
ket of this country. The loss on these
by the enactments of congress amounts
each week to 100000, making an an
nual loss of $41, 100000. To protect
themselves France and Germany have
put duty of 4 cents per pound on our
manufactured leather. Does not all
this show the stupidity of Congress?
Finally comes the Interstate Com
merce Law, which tends to build up
monopolies by stopping competition,
for now no small shipper with limited
capital can do business. He must be
an owner of large number of cars, so
he can get his and 2 per cent. mile
age. 1t is fast driving all business into
great trusts. There is no doubt that if
it continues few years it will either
force the large roads to own all the
small ones or drive them into gigan-
tic trust. 1t is an old adage that com
petition is the life of trade Why
should law be passed to stop cOmpe-
tition among railroads?
Thus we see that the present low
prices of cattle has been brought about
by the various enactments of Congress
and it will be impossible for them TO
cover up their own blunders or 10 in
crease the price of cattle by sending
out investigating committees.
rrhis article is published by request
and does not express the views of this
paper In speaking of oleomargarine
Mr.. Allerton overlooks the fact that the
tax became necessary as unprincIpalled
dealers were selling 1t as pure butter,
thereby cutting out that staple article
of farm product, while oleomargarine
was entirely paekcrsmanufacture and
could be made very cheap. Pleuro-
Pneumonia was undoubtedly stamped
on. by the prompt action of Congress
and the cattle mems conventions, and
many thousands of millions saved to
farmers thereby. That the Democratic
Administration tinkered all they could
with protective tariff is admitted, but
farmers will find the Republicans will
ing to correct any legislation preiudi-
cial to their interests as soon as practi-
cable. Beef is too necessary an article
of daily consumption to admit of its
being cornered. or more than temper
arily influenced in price by anything
but Legitimate supply and deman d.
Ed.
Ii there Is mucn ras-weed among
the clover after the grain crop Is
gathered. says an exchange, and es-
Daciallv ~ n ta,vare ,b1...