Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-08-23
Why Beef is Hiqh.


are two sides to the story. and that
| there may be natural reasons for the
advance in the price of this important
staple. If there is an any illegal COM
biration of dealers, that is something
to be reached and prevented by law;
but the facts are that there has been
| a decrease IN cattle relative to the in
crease in population, that there has
been d larger individual demand for
beef incident to the general prosperity,
that there has been an increasing de-
mand abroad for our beef, that the
price of grain, especially corn, much
used for the fattening of heavy beef,
IS higher, and that the area of grazing
land in the West is diminishing. These
are conditions not to be reached By
law and they are an indisputable.
The department of labor in Wash
ington has been making study of the
beef situation, and the Boston Tran
script has an interesting and instruc-
tive interview with Fred C. Croxton of
that department, who has been doing
the work. He presents some striking
figures to prove the facts Of decreasing
supply and increasing demand, and we
will quote his own language:
| 1T has been found" said Mr.. Crox-
ton, in speaking to the Transcript
| tnt d! &c,
| expenditure of the average Wage-ear
| er's family goes for meat, of which be-
| tween and 10 per cent. is spent on
| beef. With several years of steady en-
| ployment, and with better incomes in
general than had before prevailed, it
was natural that the individual demand
for meat and also for its better grades
should be on the increase. Population
itself increased 2C.7 per cent. in the last
decade. In the urban and semi urban
population this increase for $50 per
cent, while among the rural popuia-
| ton it was only 9.5 per cent. Growth
OF city population means growth for
the demand for beef, as the proportion
Which it bears to all meats consumed
is doubtless much greater in the cities
than in the rural districts.
/
is demanding more meat than a few
years ago, that there are 90 per cent.
more individuals in the country to de-
mand it, and that where this increase
| of population has been greatest the
preference for beef among meats is
most marked. Expectation has also
made an increasing call for our fresh
beef. Comparing the domestic exports
for the five years which ended June 80,
1901, with the five years preceding it
appears that the number of cattle ex-
ported Increased nearly 20 per cent,
the total quantity of fresh beef in
creased 47.4 per cent, tallow Sill per
cent, while canned beef showed de-
crease of 31.S per cent, and sailed,
picked and other cured beef a decrease
of 1S.l per cent
with this view of the increased de-
mand ii is interesting to inquire into
the supply. The four Western slaugh-
tering centres, Chicago, Kansas City.
st. Louis and Omaha. slaughtered in
the five years from 1897 to 1901, inclu-
siNe, but 81 per cent. more cattle
than in the rlttcding FIVE years. And
these cities net only slaug' ter 65 per
cent. of The country's total Of whole
Sdit ACCOMPLISHMENTS, Dul tIey lildy Dt
considered as fairly representative OF
| general conditions in the industry.
Average weight may also be taken into
| account as further modifying these fig
ures. In the latter period under review
the average in Chicago was 1916, as
against 1850 during the five years be-
fore; and if this tendency prevailed
else where, as it is reasonably to sup
! IA
available the gross weight of the cat
tie slaughtered during the latter five
years in the four beef cities was only
IL per cent. more than during the for
mer.
1T seems that several years of low
prices had discouraged the raising of
cattle. There was an advance in the
early fall of 1859 which tended to bring
into the market all available animals.
The next spring prices declined some
what. but since that time there has
been a gradual advance. and until the
END of 1901, heavy marketing of cat
tle The census office makes a state
ment that there was probably a de-
crease of about per cent. in the mum
Der of cattle between 1890 end 1900, so
it is clear that there was no increase
in the number OF cattle 10 keep pace
with the incr ease of population, to say
nothing oe he more effective individual
demand or of the increasing exporta-
ton. The census, in its report OH
wholesale Strengthening and meat pack
ing. moreOvet. SHOWS an increase OF
but 9 per cent. for the decade. 1t is
also probable that during the 10 years
there had been a gradual absorption OF
the business by the wholesale slaugh-
tering and packing concerns, so that
they represented a greater percentage
Of the total in 1900 than In 1890. West
ern dressed beef is now sold almost ex-
clusively i'll many towns which only 4
few years ago depended on local sup
plies.
This brings the matter down to the
short corn crop of 1901, which has
doubtless given an acute twist to con-
ditons which had long been ripening
The corn crop was less than three
fourths the size of the crop of either
1900 or of 1899. This meant high
prices"
make sure of his position. The area OF
| | l,or