El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-01-02
WANT THE BARS KEPT DOWN.
Ell Paso Stockmen Don't Want Any
Duty on Mexican Cattle.

FL PdS0 StOckmen DON'T want ANY
Duty on Mexican Cattle.
Several stockmen residing here and
in Deming met the other day in the
federal building, and drew up paper
of statistics on the importations of
Mexican cattle for the intellectual
digestion of the committee on ways and
means of the house of Representatives
in congress assembled. In the document
it is stated:
in the first place, the imports of
cattle from Mexico are inconsiderable.
They have been greatly exaggerated
by parties interested in their exagge-
ration, and from the accompanying
data you will see that, as com
pared with the daily sales of live stock
in the markets of Chicago, ST. Louis,
bagatelle. They could certainly have
no influence whatever upon the price
of cattle in the United States.
1.-The data herewith has been obtain
ed from the records of the custom house
on the border through which these
imports were made. The producers of
these cattle are mainly American
ranchman in northern Mexico, who
through force of circumstances, drOuth
in Texas and other causes. have moved
their herds into Mexico, and esta blished
there abiding grounds for supplying
the American markets with yearling
steers. The greatest sufferers from an
increased duty upon these cattle will
be these American cattlemen, whose
homes are mainly in the United States
where the products of their ranches are
expended, and where any benefit or
detriment in the upsetting of their
trade relations will be mainly felt.
"A material increase in the present
1r,t thoSa cattle will only shin l.
out entirely their imports from Mexico,
working hardship on these men. but
will as we'll deprive the government Of
what is now fair source of revenue.
Under the Mckinley tariff of so per
head not 200 cattle we're imported
from Mexico. This duty of $40 per
head on grown cattle and 81 per head
on calves was absolutely prohibitory.
the cattle raised in Mexico being
about $14 for 4-year-old steer. Not
over 10 per cent Of the cattle imported
from Mexico have gone direct to the
American market The imports have
been mainly for the purpose of stocking G
Texas, Kansas and Nebraska ranches
with yearlings or stock cattle, which
are subsequently, moved north to
Nebraska or Montana, matured after
two years and sold in Kansas City,
yearling which is worth Sc in Mexico
after handling in this way brings about
$50 in the Kansas City market. The
additional $24 per head goes all to the
American government as duty, to the
American ranchman, railroad man,
commission man and banker who have
handled him for the market.
"There is but one Mexican market
for cattle, viz: the City of Mexico.
The great competitor in the City of
Mexico against Mexican beef is the
Kansas hog. The closing of the Amer
lean market to the Mexican cattle
must be followed shortly by the closin g
of the Mexican market to Kansas pork.
Breweries are being established all
over Mexico, and it will not need much
encouragement to have packing houses
in connection with them -
The document sets forth the climatic
advantages of wintering in Mexico and
| spring range feeding in this country,
and the fact that every avenue is closed
| in the United States to the impor;
of material from Mexico builds up one
more industry in Mexico in competition
with the like industry in the United
| States.
However, other cattle men in this
city do not seem to lay much stress or
the above movement, and say northern
| Mexico is pretty we'll rid of cattle. and
| as any increase Of tariff would not make
the whole duty over 30 per cent, it viii
not make so much difference after a !
| There is really no occasion for
aggregation OF underwear pVeS