The herald., 1895-04-16
State Department Of aAgricult-
ure Official Discusses IT.
LABOR CUTS A BIG FIGURE
Decrease in the Corn Crop Partially
Responsible X %. ~ g.
Argentina fias the Advantage Of Cheap
Labor and This Country Cam
moi Compete " rs

WASHINGTON, April 15.-An official
of the agricultural department, discuss
ing the recent increase in the price of
cattle. which isl said to bes=the primary
cause for the increase in the price of beef
in the country. says that it may be occas-
Toned by the decreased corn crop of the
past few years.
The last great crop of the country was
that grown in 1891, and available in 1892.
1t amounted to q, 600, 100000 bushels. The
crop of 1892 was 100000, 900 THAT of 1898,
1,620, 700, 900 bushels, and that Of 1894 less
than |, 100000. 600. There has been fall
ing off in this crop, which is the princi-
pie feed for cattle. 1t is true that the
farmers have used wheat for cattle feed
during the depression of price of this
cereal, but the falling of the corn crop. in
the opinion OF the official, may have
more to do with the rise than anything
else. Lack of the principal food for cat
tie may have induced stock raisers to put
upon the market more cattle than tor
merly
Another reason for the decrease in the
number of cattle is given in the fencing
i'll and the closing up of many of the
stock range and ranches. The settlement
of the western states by small farmers has
made stock raising in great herds less
profitable, and it is said the increase in
cattle has not nearly kept pace with the
increase in population or the country.
Where the price of cattle was very low
and the market was crowded, 1T Is sup
posed that the stockmen sold notsonly
the steers, but also large numbers Of the
females, which would tend to check the
increase in the following, years. The
competition in cattle from Argentina and
Australia has been ,mething of a draw
back in this country. In both countries
cattle can be raised much more cheaply
than in the United States. The great
plains of these countries have not been
invaded by settlers. The cattle may
roam at will as they did for twenty-five
years in the western part of this country.
Labor cuts small figure, but that
which is necessary is much cheaper in
both Argentina and Australia than in
the United States. This same official
said that Argentine was the great agricul
tural rival OF the United States. 1t was
far enough south OF the equator to grow
all food products produced in the United
States. Its northern borders were about
as tropical as the southern borders of the
United States. Its soils are rich and the
great fertile plains offer many advantages
to the bonanza farmers. They are open
ing up country such as the United
States was twenty-five years ago, starting
as we ulu tllell, Dut Will All tie InOueT1
improvements. and the experience which
this country has given them.
In the harvests Argentina has the
ADVANTAGE of cheap labor. Shiploads of
Italians are brought over at every harvest
and returned after it is over. 1t takes
eighteen days for these ships to make
the trips, but the imported laborers are
carried very cheaply, and it is found
prohtlbl by the Argentina lanl owners
to make use of them during the hafvests.
even by paying their. 'pfssage both ways.
The markets of the world have already
been affected by the food products of Ar
gentna. 1t is still a question whether
the great farm owners. with all the adj
vantages of cheap labor and the conces-
sions granted by the Argentine govern
ment, will be able to make lasting sue
cess of their agricultural adventures. The
big bonanza farmers of the west have
found they could not make a success of
their operations and it is now the policy
and sell them. and ii they are not able
to sell, to lease them upon advantageous
terms to the men who wish to operate
smaller farms. The bonanza farmers of
Argentina have the advantage of reach
ing the seaboard NOR quickly and at a
small cost, compared to the transportation
of products from the great plains of the
United States, where farming operations
have been tried on large scale, but the
distance by sea to the markets of the
world is much greater. But with water
transportation distance does not count for
much in getting staple products in the
markets. 1t is the opinion of the official
who spoke on this subject that, the United
States will in the future find formidable
competitor in the agricultural products
OF the Argentine Republic, :