The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-15

explained that the object was to get a /
currency of such elasticity that the /
stock men won't have II per cent |
money and the Wall Street gamblers |
have per cent money. In relation to |
transportation matters, a resolution |
was passed calling upon the transpor-
tation committee to meet as soon as |
possible and demand that the trans |
portation companies cease their abusive |
treatment of the live stock industry.
DR.. E. Benjamin Andrews. chancellor
of the University of Nebraska, spoke OF
THE Supply and Demand of Beer
Cattle" He said in part:
is the supply of beef cattle keeping
up with the demand2 In a sense. II
the least time and space are allowed
for, the supply and the demand of an
article traded in are always equal Any
cause tending to sunder them is at once
annulled by its own operation II the
supply tends to run ahead. prices falI
and demand increases to meet the sup
ply again. If demand starts TO grow
away from supply. prices rise and de-
mand falls off again, or else supply. in
creases to meet the demand. The effect
OF these movements is Immediately an
equation at some price or other, De
tween supply and demand Strictly.
therefore. demand can never. for any
length of time or width of space. get
away from supply.
OF beef. like any other merchandise,
there will always be a supply at some
price. 1t will never cease to be pos
slble Tor people who can pay the price
of beef to obtain it, though of course
the price might conceivably so soar
that beef could be procured only by
those of ample means. And there will
always be a demand for beef WeH-to-
DO people enough will forever exist TO
keep up a certain demand however high
beef prices may rise.
ITO create a clear issue let US state
our question thus. Is the supply of
beef likely to continue sufficient at
present prices or, after a little will
lower prices rule or higher prices?
1.-THE question calls for inquiry into
the probability of beef cattle produc-
ton, and into the probability of the
beef cattle demand during the years
just before us.
Il discuss, first, the probable supply
of beef cattle during the immediate fu-
ture, meantime, for simplicity's sake.
supposing the demand to remain about
the same now.
There are causes at work tending to
diminish the supply of beef cattle and
| certain to do this unless demand in
creases-a question to be considered in
few minutes. The free pasture area
on the public domain is lessening.
Thousands of acres of that pasture
have been ruined through lack of SUI
perviSion.
Here is of course the great argu-
ment for a public land leasing law.
over which so much controversy has
| arisen. Into this I do not enter; but it
is clear to all that if such law could
! be devised, which would enable stock
owners to control their ranges so that
care for the land would pay, and at the
same time not hinder honest home
stealing, great and permanent good
would be done.
LAS it is, it being no ones interest
| to prevent, precious soil is blown away
| by the wind, covered with gravel by
millions of gophers, trampled by cat
/ tle quilted into rivers by rains and
/ Hxr
stealing and cutting the trees which
shelter ii. These things ought not sc
| to be.
1.-The federal OK pasture has also been
| invaded by demonstrating. This process
is still rapidly going on-destined to be
furthered, too, by number of re-
sources whose power is only just coming
to be felt. -
lone of theseefs irrigation,zp public and
private. We need not go so far as
some irrigation enthusiasts to be con-
WINGED how vast an area now too dry
for profitable agriculture will by and by
become good agricultural land
| LAS much more will be Withdrawn
| from pasturage a little later by the
| creation of forests. This process is to
| be accentuated by the growing impos-
sibility of obtaining sufficient timber for
! the needs of this great country from the
sources hitherto known. There is not
county this side of the Mississippi
which might not grow its own timber;
| few that might not, besides this, grow
| for expOrt-many. very many-where
| timber would be the most profitable
| crop which could be raised-far more so
than pasture grass. This profitableness
will be discovered ere long, with the re-
| suit that artificial forests will spread
over millions of acres now sandy and
| bare.
AN example of successful afforesta
ton under difficulties has just come to
my knowledge. In a Nebraska county,
! twelve years ago, a bald hill of drifting
sand was planted with hard pine seeds.
Every square rod planted has now its
lusty growth, needing to be thinned,
while fair proportion of the trees are
already twenty-four feet high
Our free pasture will lose still more
by the spread of thorough agriculture,
which, we are learning, is able to pro-
duce crops, and that in very arid re-
gions, largely irrespective of rainfall
But let us not conclude until we arrive
at a conclusion; Must not higher prices
| ing demand? No, not necessarily, at
least for very long time. The same
| where employed to show that agriculture
must hereafter be a more profitable bust
as follows; The population of the world
| is increasing by leaps and bounds All
! course, includes beef If the products Of
| mems toll other than husbandry were to
increase in cost as husbandry products
must, the. power of non-agricultural pro
ducers to obtain. husbandry products
would fall off; but this is not the case.
While husbandry products are going to
be harder and harder to get other pro
! ducts are. as rule, destined to be OBJ
tainable at lower and lower cost as the
wears pass The result must be that in
spite of the higher cost of beef the abili-
ty. of non-agricultural producers to OBJ
/ The higher prices of beef will, therefore,
to all likelihood not cut down the de-
mand, but, such parts of them as can be
saved from the packers, will go to the
good of beef raiserS.
1.-The production of beef, therefore, has
no dubious or cloudy future, like deep
mining for instance. 1t will have its ups
and downs, but must, in the long run, be
like the path of the just depicted in
the Good Book. It has an encouraging oc-
cupation to engag e in. If you are already
in it, be in it to stay.