Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1895-04-26
BIG DEARTH OF BEEF,
RISE IN PRICE OF MEAT DUE TO
NATURAL CAUSES.
Packers Deny that a Combination Has
Been Formed to Corner the Product
Long Drought Hoe Proved De.
structive ON Ranges In the West.

high price of beef, whether purchased OH
the hoOf or ut retail. This assertion il
borne out not only by the assertions of the
interested packers of Chicago. Omaha, st.
Louis and Kansas City, but by the sta.
tistics prepared quarterly by the Govern.
ment concerning the shipping, receiving
and killing of cattle in the four American
cities which control the delivery of beef
dressed or on the hoof to the remainder OF
the country and Europe. The statement
that n combine among the four principal
packers of the West has caused the in.
creased prices is Indignantly denied by
them.
Clay Robinson & Co. from the Union
Stock Yards of Chicago, have issued 4,
circular referring to the cattle scarcity,
in which they estimate the shortage at 40
per cent. for the whole country in com.
parison with 1894. The same estimate is
made by Cal Favoritc. of Armour 4 Co.,
and is partially sustained by the figures
of the Government given out in January
of this year. These figures show the num-
Der of cattle in the United States, being
u comparison of January, 1895, with Jam
nary. 1884. In beef cattle the decrease
in the whole number in the country was
2,2i3,053, or g per cent.
Large Decrease Shown.
The Government cattle report includes
all classes and grades, while the esti-
mate of the Chicago packers us to the de-
crease is in reference only to cattle fit
for immediate sale. By the Government
report it is shown that the decrease in
cattle i'll Nebraska has been 10 per cent.
since 1894, 16 per cent. since 1893, and
is per cent. since 1892. In Wyoming the
decrease is 8 per cent. since 1884 and %
per cent. us compared with 1892. In Tcx,
as a decrease of q per cent. since 1894,
. per cent. since 1893, and IL per cent
since s Montana has lost 4 per cent.
since 1893, 3 per cent. since 1892. The
State gained . per cent. in comparison
with 1914. lowa's loss is 6 per cent.
since 1884. ) per cent. since 1893 and q
per cent. since 1892. Colorado has lost 6
per cent. i'll comparison with 1894 and
gained IL as compared with 1893.
If the coming scarcity of cattle had not
been f~oreshadowed by the January Gov
eminent report data of n similar nature
would not be lacking now. For the week
ending March 30 the decrease in the re-
ceipts of cattle at the Chicago stock yards
in comparison with the same week in 1894
was S,5S3 head. Since Jan. / there have
been received at the stock yards 572,S57
head, a decrease of 119,O6S for the same
Period in 1894. Shipments during the
same period of time decreased 81, OSO head
and the actual slaughter 66,97O head. The
figures are official. On April IL the esti-
mated shortage in the receipts of cattle
at the Union Stock Yards since Jan. 1 in
comparison with the receipts for the same
period in 1894 was 100000 head. The
shortage in pounds of dressed beef for the
same period was estimated to be 175,0OO.-
QUO pounds. or an average of 2,000,0OO
pounds decrease a day. On the same day
the receipts of cattle at the yards were
$500 head less than OH the same day in
1894.
No Combine Among Packers.
Cal Favorite. speaking for Armour &
Co, said: ''Thc Big Four is n mythical or
ganizatiOn. l do not know that it en-
lists. If you view the situation in the light
of an actual shortage of marketable cut
tie existing@O per cent. less than a year
ago i'll the whole country-it is not diff
cult to explain why there is a scarcity in
beef and higher prices. 1t is simply inn
possible for us to get choice cattle in any
quantity"
=. ID. Armour said: '.Tle Western
ranges have been denuded of cattle. and
[ believe it will take four or five years to
have n reduction in the prevailing beef
prices. The scarcity of cattle, in my
opinion, will continue for that length of
time. l do not see how it ia to be avoided.
Months and years will be required to re-
store to the barren ranges the cattle
which once kept the supply ahead of the
demand. The situation is the logical end
of a series of disasters on the cattle
ranges and destructions of crops needed
for feeding purposes"
Comparative tables were secured show.
ing the figures of the receipts, shipments
and killings in the Chicago, South Omaha,
Kansas City and East st. Louis markets
for the three months ending March 80,
1885, with the same periods in 1894.
These are the tables:
CHICAGO. .
1895. 1894. 1893.
Receipts ......574.O52 CO.,, 1875 7633 81. 1913
Shipments ....1S8,43O 241.OS4 24O,419
Killing .......385,6 22 451,O43 527,010
KANSAS CITY.
1895. 1894.
Receipts ............. 32S,379 &c., 4:5
shipments ............ 2,629 1S9,3S7
killing .............. .195. $50 1871, 1853
The increase in the killing Mt Kansas
City of 1885 over that of 1894 is explained
by the statement that Swift & Co. and
Nelson Norris are diverting, for the pres
ent, business to that point and East st.
Louis and increasing their output.
SOUTH OMAHA.
1895. 1894.
Receipts ............ .123,753 1871, $50
Shipments ......... :5,617 5S.4O3