Fergus County argus., 1902-05-07
ABOUT THE BEEF MARKET.
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson Gives
Some of the Reasons for
the High Prices.


Secretary of Agriculture Wilson,
discussing the beef situation from the
standpoint of farmer and stock rails
er, attributes the present high prices
to the short corn crop of last year.
He says farmers have been feeding
cattle corn worth so cents bushel,
and have been selling beef for sew
en- cents pound on the hoof. The
average beef steer, he says, dresses
at fifty pounds to the hundred, max
ing the cost of the dressed animal IA
cents pound.
Secretary Wilson prdicts a fall in
the price of beef in two months: He
says:
81 predict a fall in the price of beef
as soon as the grade cattle are ready
for market. There is nothing to hinder
the butchers in any city from making
an agreement among themselves to
put an agent in one of the western
markets for the purpose of buying cat
tie, having them shipped to their city,
slaughtered and sold at a profit, pro-
viding they can get the same trans
portation rate given to everyone else.
Whoever gets a lower rate becomes
monopolist, as he is at once given
great advantage over all those who
are Disseminated against.
II do not know whether or not
there is a combination on the part
OF the packers to put up the price of
meats, as have no means of know
ing. ! do know, however, that owing
to the shortness of last years corn
crop. the farmers were not able to
feed cheap corn to their cattle SO as
to fatten them for market.
There is plenty of grass cattle in
the country. Corn is high and the
farmers have been giving it to their
cattle at double the ordinary price
namely, so to 60 cents bushel. They
sent south for cotton seed oil so as
to help to tide over.
"The farmers have been getting z
cents a pound for cattle on the hoof.
The average steer going to Chicago
dresses at fifty pounds to the hundred.
It is easily estimated that II a calf
costs cents a pound on the hoof II
will cost IA cents when dressed.
"First-class beef dresses at about
sixty pounds to the hundred" contin-
ued the secretary, "and the worlds
high water mark along this line is be-
tween sixty and seventy pounds, but
the average is about fifty pounds.
This will give some idea of what beef
costs the butcher. The choice cuts
are always run up in price and this
is why we have to pay so much for
our meats.
while beef will be cheaper when
the grass fed cattle are In marketable
shape, this cause will not operate to
reduce the price of the products of
the hog, as that animal cannot fat
ten on grass.
These are some of the prime
causes for the high prices of meats.
There are others of equal Importance.
Wages are good. In tact, they are
higher than ever before. This enables
everyone to eat what he fancies.
This condition creates a heavy de-
mand for food products, and all of
them are unusually high.
Another cause for the increase In
the price of beef is the drain on the
corn supply to fatten horses and
mules for our foreign markets. There
is a large demand for mules and
horses for use in South Africa. The
animals must be fattened the same
as cattle in order to bring satisfac
tory price. These are some of the
natural causes which contribute to
bringing about the existing condition
but 1t is impossible for me to say
whether, in addition to this. the pack
ers have arbitrarily added anything
to the price, as that is a matter with
which have nothing to do"