The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-03-05
Fatal TO LIVE STOCK.
Democratic Role Depresses an important
/ Ruain0aa.

FATAL TO LIVE STOCK.
Democratic Role Depresses an important
Business.
The annual statement of the depart
ment Of agriculture of the number and
value of farm animals requires COMPARE
son with statements of previous years
to disclose it's meaning. A decrease
appears in the number of each kind of
farm animals, which would not be fully
appreciated without the fact that there
had been decrease in two previous
years in every kind except mules and
mich cows. The decrease in the three
years has been in number is per cent.
in mich cows, 2.2 in mules, &C in horses,
IL in swine. 1913 in cattle, and 10 per
cent. in sheep. Nearly fifth Of the
sheep in the country have been exter-
minated by three democratic years. But
there has also been q decline in the
average price during the same three
years, notwithstanding the decrease In
number. in every kind of animals ex-
cept mich cows, which have increased
3.s per cent, and cattle, which increased
4 per cent. In horses the price has de-
clined 46 per cent, and in mules 43, ow-
ing to peculiar causes; in swine 32.1.
and in sheep 36.1 per cent. Such de-
cline in sheep, added to a decrease of
10 per cent. in number, is, in truth, Il
surprising evidence of the boosted bless
ings of free trade TO wool growers. The
value of all sheep on the farms has de-
creased from S125,900,264 to $65,167,-
735 in three years, or nearly 40 per cent.
To this must be added, in order to
grasp the full virtue of the democratic
policy for wool growers, an average loss
of cents perpound on about 336, OOO, 900
pounds of wool in 1898, cents on $685.
100000 pounds in 1894, and 0 cents on
310,0O0,000 pounds in 1s95-in all about
$74.0O0,000; so that the wool growers
loss has been about$134, TAI 900, or more
than the entire value of all the sheep in
the country three years ago. In fact,
it averages loss Of 1855 for every sheep
then in the country, of which the farm
value was $2.66. The senator from
Ohio who voted for free wool, and could
not explain to the wool growers why
they had lost about $12,91S,0 in two
years. has been retired. The senator's
from Texas, where wool growers have
lost about $l2,7s7.000, and from Cali
fornia, where they have lost about $12,-
100000, have yet to explain their part.
The losses in number and value of
farm animals are only in part ex-
planned by the increase in the previous
four years, 1ss9-93. in which there was
OF some kinds notable and perhaps
undue increase. Thus the number of
horses increased in these four years
1876 per cent, but decrease of 14.S per
cent. in average value indicates that the
gain was excessive, and the number Of
mules increased 3.2 per cent, but de-
creased in value Ill per cent. Con-
sidering the great expansion in other
means of locomotion in towns and cit
les, it may be supposed that an excess
sive increase of horses caused the re-
sulting decline both in number and
value after 1893, and the shrinkagc in
general business and in value of i'm
portant farm products also accounts
for much of the subsequent decrease.
AS mich cows increased IA per cent,
ard cattle &c in the four years 1SS9-93,
with a decline of 90 per cent. in the
average value of cows and 1916 in the
average value of cattle, the fact that
the further decrease in number of each
has been accompanied by some recov-
cry in price seems not unnatural. The
decline of S.3 per cent. in swine in the
same four years brought an advance of
1917 in price, but the scarcity of corn
has doubtless been an important fac
tor in the fall of the price during the
last three years. But sheep increased
1919 per cent. in number from 1889 to
1893 and PAS per cent. in value in spite
of that gain in number, while the de-
crease in the three subsequent years
has been greater, both in number and
in value. as follows:
In four years. 1885,:
Number. Av. value
Horses ........Inc. 1856 Dec. 14.S
Mules ....................Inc. 32 Dec Ill
Mich cows. IA Dec. ~
Other INTERCHANGEABLE. 2.6 Dec. 1o.6
swine ....................Dec. ~ Inc. ~. I