The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-05-15
WHY BEEF is HIGH.

Whatever manipulations may have
been practiced by the large meat deal
ers in Chica go, through joint action,
the starting point of the present price
disturbance is not in the packing houses
but on the ranches and farms. There
has probably not been a time III years
when there was such a scarcity of fat
cattle available for slaughter as there
1 is tins spring, throughout the country
There has been gradual decline in the
number of oxen and other cattle raised
i'll this country for the meat market.
/ from an average of SO, S27, OPS in 1891,
1892 and 1893, to only 21.6l0,054 in 1900,
while the total value of this stock ac-
, tually increased from an average of
S514 253 0>9 in the first years named to
S6>H. 1856 260 in 00:-tlIat is, from Sl5. o.,
to o24.91 per head, OF SIS per cent. or
course, Sll.U5 and S24.91 do not repre-
sent actual prices OF steers ae Chicago.
/ because the total numbers and values
OF cattle here quoted include cattle Of
all sizes and ages. from calves up, and
not at Chicago, but on the thousands
OF ranches and farms all over the couu-
try. While prices at quotation point like
Chicago include transportation. stock
yard charges, etc The above average
prices per head, however, do indicate
the trend OF values for the whole group
of cattle raised for slaughter. of which
the tattened stock brought to Chicago
form about the same proportion of the
whole in one year as in another. Hence
an increase of SO per cent, per head iii
the whole group indicates practically
the same. perhaps even greater, in
crease in the value of matured stock
available for the market. This shows
Conclusively that the decline in the
number of cattle is not due to systema-
tic forcing down of the price of live
stock by the meat combine, as the
sensational press perSlstently charges.
The smaller number of cattle is due to
various causes, partly to the increased
cost of farm and ranch labor, partly to
the gradual converting OF free grazing
lands in the far West to settled farm
ing land, forcing larger use of lnclosed
lands for stock raising, and partly to
the superior proiitableness of other
lines of agricultural industry. While
this combination of influences has les
sened the raising OF cattle, it has at the
same time been forcing up the price in
response to the increased cost, and in
lllt lftol lew INGlo w { Z Il6ttt SCNtl tl
eliminating points where this upward
pressure has shown itself in increased
prices of dressed meats. Considering,
along with fewer cattle the increase in
population. and hence in the demand
for meats. it is surprising that the price
advance has not been even greater: in
fact, but for the improvements in the
methods of packing and distribution of
meats. with the cheapeuing OF trans
portation, we should undoubtedly have
had during the last ten years not mere
ly occasional upward Spurts in meat
prices but a steady and permanent in
crease, reflected directly from the in
creased scarcity and high cost Of the
live stock. a large part of this has
been neutralized by the Improvements
referred to; in proof of which, the
average price of extra mess beef per
barrel for 1891, 1892 and 1893 was $40:
in 1900, S9.73 an increase of % per cent,
while during the same period, as already
shown, the value per head of beef on
the hoof rose &c per cent-Gunton s
Magazine for May.