Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-03-16
CATTLE INTERESTS
a Deputariou Waits the New Secretary
of Agriculture and discusses the Cattle

of A grfcuiture and discusses the Cattle
OuestiO
WAsHINGroS March a-Sena'o-s PETER and
Martin and h 4 Heath. OF Kansas, called upon
The new secretary of agriculture, Mr.. Morton.
Mr. Heath is the president OF the Association
OF Western Agricultural Journals He is
OF the owners OF the Kansas Farmer and is an
expert in all live stock questions The visit of
| the senators and Mr. Heath was much more
than formality. It was for the purpose of
| laying before Mr. Morton a plan by which the
department can greatly benefit the stock inter
| eStS- The proposition is, in brief that the
government shall make live stock reports a
well as crop reports and that the latter shall
| be made more elaborate than they are now.
Mr.. Heath explained the scope OF the plan, and
Secretary Morton was greatly interested
After the conference MIR. Heath. in reply to
an inquiry. said:
During the last administration Secretary
Rusk was constantly importuned by farmers
and stockmen in the grain and stock produc-
ing states which produce the surplus grain and
live stock of this country to establish in each of
| the westean states and territories permanent
bureau of Information and statistics which
should disseminate all necessary anu desirable
Information about live stock and crops. Secre-
rotary RuSk favorably impressed with the
proposed project and thought IL would greatly
enhance the usefulness of the department TO
the farmers. But owing to the origination of
other features he was unable to reach this inn
| portant matter In response to this general
demand for statistics and other information
concerning live stock, Senator Vest, OF Mis-
souri,, introduced bill for the establishment
of a bureau OF statistics and Information that
| would give to the farmers and others inter-
tereSted the exact information as to the num-
Der of live stock OF all classes well
the number at any time ready for the mar
ket That this is a Legitimate demand is clear
ly evidenced by the action OF the last meeting
OF the Interstate Cattlemen'S convention, held
at Fort Worth. Tex, which unanimously asked
! for the establishment of such bureau under
the auspices of the United States department
of agriculture. This convention was composed
of representative cattlemen of all the western
states and territories During the last year
state conventions of stockmen and agricult-
wrists have expressed themselves earnestly
desiring such institution in behalf OF the
producers of the surplus cereals and live stock.
The department has already in each of the
principal grain producing states q StatStician,
who reports the condition of the growing
crops. This is good thing as far it. goes,
but is wholly inadequate for covering the infor-
nation and statistics which ought to be secured
regarding the production and condition of crops
| and stock -
Mr.. Heath used some information which he had
just gathered in regard to the present condi-
tons and prospects of the live stock industry.
This information. supplemented by Mr. Heath's
conclusions, is of great interest to all cattle
men just this time.
According to the latest official statistics of
the department of agriculture, said Mr. Heath
There is in the United States 81 651 239 head of
cattle other than mich COWS, Of which 1870
| 638 are on the ranges of Texas, Colorado, New
Mexico. Montana, Wyoming, Utah, North Da-
| kota, South Dakota and Arizona, and ID 985, $50
! found in the feeding states of Missouri,
| Kansas Iowa. Illinois Nebraska, Indiana, Wis
! conSin, Minnesota, Michigan, Kentucky and
! Tennessee. The remainder OF this class of cat
tie. 9O9i 645 which is about onefourth the to tai
/ number, is distributed through the eastern,
| southern and Pacific states. It will be seen
! from this that he great bulk of cattle is
! centered in the range and feeding States
/ viz: %, $50, 594 The remainder, 9O9f,5i5 is
/ divided among the eastern, southern and Pa
/ cific states and is so far removed from our
! western markets, which now control the cattle
! trade of the country, to be of little i'm
portance as a source of supply even if the
! number was large enough TO cut any figure;
but when the populat ton of these sta ties is con-
! sidercd it is plain to thev cannot spare any
| cattle when the supply of our range and feed
| ing states is exhausted
1.-The character OF these 1856, 59i head OF cat
! tie is the ques ton to be considered It is
well known that our cattle consist of all classes
from the calf UP, and in the absence of correct
statistical data relating to age and sex, can
| only make a fair estimate based upon the COM
of farm and ranch stock
| Basing the average annual increase of calves
| at 80 per cent, and estina ting these to be one
! half male and one-half female we can reason
| ably say that our present supply of cattle con-
| SiSts of:
/ Breeding cows 10, 375 DOC
| Calves under year. 5. ISL, 500
Steers under years Old. 500, 75l
Heifers under years old. ........... 2, 500, 75G
Steers under years old ,75C
Heifers under years old ............. 3, 593, 75t
Steers years old and over........... 2, 593 80
Totals Is, 5s1, CSC
! This is allowing nothing for death, and it is
| quite probable that the number of young stock
| is less, and there may be a much larger proper
| tion of steers for the reason that many produc-
ers have become discouraged in the last few
years and have spayed their cows and have
gone into steers alone. For all practical pur-
poses. however the above figures will convey a
fair approximation Of the number Of the differ
ent classes
Now how long will these cattle last US at the
present rate of consumption? 1t will be seen
that we only had II $685. $50 head of matured cat
| tie January l, 1892. The demand from Chi
cago alone will be fully 3,501,OOO, and the mar.
kets of Kansas City, St Louis and Omaha will
probably require many more. Upon this
| hypothesis the demand from January 1892, to
| January, 1893 will call for
| From Chicago Observation-Disclosures. $500 OOO
From Kansas City. St Louis and
Omaha 3,5OO,0OU
| From interior consumption of p states loo OOC
This will reduce our natural stock from IL,
96e, 75O to 4,96s 80, and if we keep up the same
rate of consumption we shall have to encroach
| largely on our and 2-year-old stock to supply
| the demands for ls9s which will practically re-
| suit in a beef famine in 1894, unless something
is done to inform producers of the alarming
condition of affairs and check the senseless
shipping of breeding cows and calves. which
| can be done through the agency Of this pro-
posed United States department of agriculture
| bureau of information and statistics"
! 1.-The detailed facts given concerning CATTLE
Mr.. Heath said in conclusion may be said tc
| be substantially true in all respects of the ami
NAL industry
Mr.. Heath believes that the proposition to put
the collection of live stock statistics the
anne basis crop statistics will be adopted
| and the establishment of the bureau will be one
| of the earliest acts of the department of agrt
culture under the new admins ira ton
May Tax Telegraph Poles.
| WASHINGTON, March S.-The United
States supreme court decided yesterday
in the case of the city of St Louis VS..
the Western Union Telegraph Co. thai
the city had the right to impose &
license of SIS per year on all telegraph
poles IN the city. The ordinance wa:
passed in 1885, but the company ignored
it, and in 1883 suit for SIS. 600 wa:
brought
There VIII BE strike.
TOLEDO, O., March S.-This morning