Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-17
T HE RISE IN BEE F
Department of Agriculture officials In.
vestigating the Cause.
What the Chief of the Animal Indus
try Bureau Says of the Scarcity
of Cattle.

The officials of the Department of Agri-
culture are actively prosecuting their in
vestigation into the recent big rise in the
price of beef, and it is more than likely
that they will have something definite to
say within the week with reference to the
cause of the matter and the probable out
come.
What is receiving particular attention
at their hands today is the effect upon the
market that will be brought about by the
action Of the department in raising the
embargo on Mexican cattle, as published in
yesterdays Star. 1t is expected that this
will have the effect of keeping the price
of beef from going up any higher, even if it
does not cause a decline.
In conversation with a Star reporter to-
day DR.. Salmon. the chief of the bureau
of animal industry said that there was an
undoubted scarcity in cattle in the west,
sufficient to account, in part, for the in
crease in the price of dressed beef. The
only question" said he, sis whether this
scarcity is sufficient to account for it al
together or whether the few big men
who control the beef market have not, to a
certain extent at least, anticipated the eff
feet of this scarcity; in other words,
whether the effect has not come before the
cause. What we are anxious to know is
whether the price of cattle has gone up
in proportion to the price of beef. 1t Is
son that the actual cost of dressed meat is
a hard thing to get at. The big packers
do not put their products directly on the
market. as is done with other staples, but
as rule dispose of them through their
own agents in different parts of the coun-
try. Our agents are meeting with some
difficulty in getting at the facts In the
matter but the reports are beginning to
come in.
Cattle Getting scnrcer and scnrcer.
For some time past cattle have been get
ting scarcer and scarcer in the west, and
especially in the southwest. In big sections
the condition Of the grass has been so poor
that cattle have well-nigh disappeared en-
tirely. In southeastern Texas, for example,
where there used to be tremendous herds.
there are practically none today. But have
the packers raised the price for cattle on
the hoof as they have for beef in the stalls?
Now, there has been great improve
ment in the grass this year in Texas and
in other western states, but the cattle are
not there to take advantage of 1t. That is
one reason that Influenced the department
in it's decision to raise the embargo on cat
tie from Mexico. Mexican cattle have been
looked upon with disfavor for the reason
that Texas fever is known to exist on the
other side of the border, and a quarantine
has been kept up in the summer, the sea-
son when the fever RACES most. Owing to
imperfect supervision and inspection it is
iHpOSSiDle tc Ten Nildl SeCtlOHS VI tHe Mex
lean grazing lands are most liable to the
disease. But the action of the packers in
raising the price of beef to such an extent
has compelled the department to look after
the interests Of the people. and the raising
of the embargo has resulted. The depart
ment has increased it's force of inspectors
and all incoming cattle will be rigidly eX-
amincd. Furthermore, the Mexican cattle
seem to be in an unusually good condition
this year. A part of the importations will
be used to fill up the herds on the big
southwestern pastures and the rest will be
utilized for immediate slaughter. l am OF
tire opinion that this will have the effect OF
keeping the price of beef from going any
higher. Whether it will bring about a de-
cline remains to be seen, for l have always
noticed that it doesn't take the packers as
long to raise prices as it does to lower
them"