The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-15
MEAT IS UP TO STAY.
"a Nebraska Cattleman Says the Days
Of Cheap Meat Are Gone
Forever.
Why the Range Was Fenced and
What the Cattlemen
Want Now.

w UAV ANO"s |
Why the price of beef is still excessive
was explained yesterday, from the cattle-
raser's standpoint, by C. F. Nevins, a Ne
braska cattleman. He is visiting his
brother n-law, H. j. Lobdel, at 800 r.
Nineteenth street. .>... "-. --
1T isn't the cattle barons," maintained
Mr.. Nevns Because there are practic
ally no barons' left. The number of men
with small. herds has Increased very rap
idly in recent years, and the few big TEL
lows left can no longer dictate to the rest
of us. -- ..,- H. "..~-a. -. Is !
1.-The real explanation, I believe, lies In
the higher. price of corn. The price of
corn-fed cattle fixes the price of meat,
because the great majority of cattle,
slaughtered have been corn-fed for
longer or shorter period. Back In the ear
ly nineties corn was selling at from 10
Is cents bushel in Nebraska. Last year
our farmers got from 80 to IS cents. Nat
urally the feeders were obliged to put
more money into the stock that they pre-
pared for market and were obliged to de-
mand a bigger price from the packers Of
course, I'm not saying that the packers,
the beef combine as some people cal
it. haven't stuck a fine profit for them
selves when they fixed the retail price.
Only the cattle-raisers are not responsible
| for that. l.:
II don't think meat will ever be as
cheap as it used to be-. The increasing
demand for corn VIII make tha., gram ran,
more expensive, and without cheap corn
for feeding purposes, cheap meat is an
| imposslbility.'' Mi ~ L y. -.
The Wire Fence Excitement. -
Mr. Nevins told of the cattlemen's wire
fences upon public lands, the fences that
have been the subject of 80 many pro
tests 1t was in pursuit of his announced
determination to destroy the fences that
Colonel Moseby, the former Confederate,
now special agent of the government
recently prophesied a pyrotechnic gun
play"
II believe the colonel did tear down
some fences said Mr.. Nevins, but he
was never in any danger from the better
| sort Of cattlemen. We understand per-
fectly that we have no legal rights to the
! public lands, and that our fences are not
authorized or protected by law. But the
| custom Of building fences sprang up nat
urally. In the great majority of cases
| the fences benefited the builders without
| injuring anyone else, except, Of course,
that the government was deprived Of a
small rental.
Speaking generally, and with very few
exceptions, the" cattlemen have never in
tecfered with the interests Of anybody
| exclusive of the other cattlemen and the
| sheep raisers who had no more right than
the fence builders. "
Throughout the great range country
from Montana to Texas and from Ne
braska to the Rocky Mountains, there is
an immense amount of land worthless fol
| agriculture at present and worthless ever
\ for hay, but good enough for grazing
Most Of these ranges are still public
plands and most Of them are still open
that is unfenced. Anybody can run his
cattle over the land. But when SO mar,
herds feed t0Hethar r.
:, keep close track of each owners prop
? erty. Now after the cattle kings began tt
lose their grip in Nebraska and in som,
other districts, the small owners that sue
ceeded them found it too expensive to hir,
men enough to attend all the round -1p
and keep track Of each mans stock. Onl,
the big fellows could afford that. Henc,
= small owner, who already had 1ega
. title; to some hay lands,s for example
J would stretch out his fences over tn
- public lands, SO that he might keep hi
own cattle together. He would also pu
down wells, erect windniIls, and provid
watering place for his herd inside TIL
= fence. Without such wells no cattle coul,
- craze In southern Nebraska more thai
- three or four miles away from the few
:, water courses. But naturally a MAJ
= wasn't going to provide and maintain
wells and windmills for the benefit q
- other peoples cattle on a public range
r
- cattle men to do business and prosper. O.
PUBIC ranges only a cattle baron ca
. make money. The fences have wonder
fully increased the number of small own
ers as we'll as the number Of cattle. Thi
mas Kept down the price Of cattle sol
from the ranges.
But we have never interfered witt
homesteaders. They have been few an
e lar between. The land we fenced WASH
worm anything to them. Occasionally
perhaps, we would include in a fence
range some small amount Of agriculture
d land. But we have never objected t
{ nomesteaders coming in and takin
: up that land =
9 A Range Lease Law Favored.
i, For several. years most of the cattl
;. men were opposed to any settlement wit
- the government. They didn't like til
= idea OF paying for ranges that they
r. got for nothing. But now the sentfmer
|; is almost unanimously in favor Of 8: rea
', sonable lease law, such as the Nebrask
;; senators are trying to put through cor
); gress. This law is modelled partly ate
: the Texas law, which the lone star cal
tie men have found much better tina
l. the old-tinae pistol tenure Public LAND
IN Texas, you remember, are all owne
or by the state. -.
Il I'VE want a law permitting us to lea.
ID the public lands for a ten-year term .
IS price something like the Texas figure
'e from 4 one to five cents an acre annual
in The present occupants of the land shou
r. be given the first option on a lease of tn:
land. Only limited amount Of lar
should be leased to one nan-that Won
check the barons.' But no lease shou
=. stand in the way Of homesteader wi
happens to discover any land fit for agr
culture. Some such law as this will pro1
ably be passed before congress- adjourns
l. !
to TU1n HpEAT ATrp n1.rnHTc