Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1901-08-08
The Decline in the Number Of Sheep


which was that the industry had under
gone a marked decline. The situatio
was summed up in a dispatch to th
New York Evening Post in the follow
ing language:
"The number of sheep in Europe ha
decreased 10000, 900, or 10 per cent il
ten years. In 1873 there were, for ex
ample, %, 900, 900 sheep in Germany
in 1897 the number was only IL ,000, 900
Since 1880 Spain has decreased hel
sheep holdings by 50 per cent. Hun
gary as compared with 1870, has only
one-thrd Of a supply. The focks oi
Great Britain, France, and the rest oi
Europe, Russia excepted, are not in
creasing, for all their available grazing
land has been utilized for years. Rus
sia is the only oldworld country which
is increasing it's sheep supply, ard even
there the increase is not rapid. 1t is
said that the Australian flocks are fall
ing off rapidly. In Argentina millions
Of sheep were destroyed by the foods
of 1900, and the natural increase has
not more than halt overcome the de
petion. In the United States there are
still fewer sheep than there were ten
years ago, although their numbers are
again increasing"
On the iace of it, this looked like
rather an alarming situation, but the re.
port from which we have quoted goes
on to say, "this is not the case, for the
official reports show that the stocks OF
wool are as large as ever, while prices
are so low that producers declare that
the industry is not remunerative."
Most persons appear to have failed to
grasp the point of the matter regarding
the decline in the number of sheep in
the world in recent years. The fact
that there has been a decline is not to
be questioned. We know that such
has been the case in Australia, and in
other important sheep raising localities.
But what is not generally appreciated is,
that this decline has come far short OF
eGualing the increase that was previous
ly witnessed. We read above that the
number Of sheep fell of IN Europe after
1873, but no reference is made to the
fact that between 1870 and 1892 the
number OF sheep in Australasia in
creased from $1,000 600 to l25, 900, 900.
We read above that "the Australian
hocks are falling off rapidly" They
did indeed fall off from about 125 ,OOO,-
900 in 1892 to about 93 900 900 in 1900. |
but nothing is said to the effect that in |
1857 there were only about Sc, ,OO0, 200
sheep in Australia.
The astonishing thing is not that the
number of sheep in the world has de.
,lned TO the extent that it has in the
asst few years, but that il increased in
he way it did for great many years
1rior 10 the decline. The economic
act appears to be that the number of
sheep increased so fast that it was i'm
possible to keep the price OF wool up to
he old-time level. Every BODY con
lected with the wool trade OF the world
vas trying very hard prior to 1897 to
Iccount for the exceedingly low prices
hat were quoted on the commodity.
The real explanation was the one least
commented on. namely, that wool hss
allen TO such low quotations because
" the rapid increase in the production.
n ISL the total imports OF wool into
europe and America were l.4+3 900
'ales. In lSe5 they were 2.7S3,OOo
'sles. Here is an increase OF about os
YER cent in a decade and half. In this
ountry We have been wondering why
he nineley tariff law has failed to put
sool on a high level. The reason ought
o be perfectly clear. the imports Of
'ool into Europe snd America in 1900
fter the number Of sheep in the world
lad been on the decline for some wears
were 2.ot4 900 pounds, or about -
e' cent larger than those OF 1851. Tie
opulsilou oi the world did not increase
3 per cent in that period the purchas-
~ power Of the world did not increase
d any ~uch ratio: the amount Of WOO
'usumei per capita did not increase
70 that ratio. Consequently the fact
hat wool l. quoted at relatively low
CURES. after say ten wears decline IN
he number OF sheep in the world. need
N.ftt mo- wonder Arfs-f.a-, NV.,,l s-g