The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-01

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There are mere cattle on Utah ranges
ana in Utah feed iots: mere sheep
upon its deserts and other favora BILE
Nlntering resorts of Utah fockmasters
and feeders, and more horses and swine
eating grain in the barns and pens OF
cur valleys, or beng ''roughed
through" than the livestock breeders
end feeders here have begun the win
ter season with a number of years.
COWmen regard the situation with
mixed feelings of hope and appreheu-
siyeness, unless they be of the few in
1-umber who have recently added to
tFeir holdings 20 hll feed lots at the
sugar factories o. otherwise fatten
steers for an early spring beef demand;
the mutton and wool men are tickied
most TO death that a combination OF
circumstances IN the summer and fail
Prevented them from marketing thou
Sands of sheep that would have gone
Upon eastern markets or into feed lots
81 the corn states but for the packing
Louise strike. followed by Il scarcity OF
railway equipmeu,. wnen their flocks
Were ready To move off grass; horse
men look comPlacently upon the local
demand. which il gradually augment
I.g because of extending development
work within the state and adjacent ter
ritory, and are hanging on TO their
holdings fora healthy rise i'm values
" lille hog men. the light Of the
Jumping packers have been giving the
Price of DOTkers on eastern markets
lstely, are just a little Dit shaky on
the judgment which encouraged them
to defer getting their Poland Chinas.
Perks and Chester Whites ready for
the block before values began skating
COWnNaTds.
It may be inferred from the forego-
trC that cattle prices are low and the
Supply so unusually plentiful as to
no ord of 1UTaE
doubtful on all sorts Of stuff but beef;
that sheep are high in price and being
held for even sitter figures, whether
desired for block or breeding purposes;
that the supply of horses is inadequate
to meet present and prospective ue-
rland and that values are advancing
accordingly: and that the ordinary
kind of hog here is not aS scarce nor as
Valuable as a reckoning made Il year
cgo would have rated him
Reason of Conditions.
There viii probably he very little
comfort to the man who raises cattle
Q, the people who buy beef i'm offhand
speculation upon the causes which have
operated to keep the price of the one
Product down and the cost of The other
lp during the past twelve months: and
Individual SurmiSe, based upon surface
indications. can offer but slender prom-
lse of Improvement to producer on. con-
mead OF us IT should occasion no con-
s-dera bic increase Of the grief mani
Tested by these sellers and buyers for a
period of over year, however, TO point
out at this time that the total receipts
g cattle on the various eastern mar
|etS i'm 1904 show a falling off in num-
Iers exceeding 800. 600 head, or an aD-
pToXimate diminution of per cent
from the previous years marketings-a
cGanSe SO slight as to nave but little
effect i'm itself upon the situation which
Is ahead; and as the price of mutton
Is going up while the price of pork
sees down, beeI substitutes in the
fresh meat line 50 even up the con-
Sumption OF the former as to threaten
- conIlnuance of the present disparity.
against which there has been such
tlamorouS protest entered by editorial
and OrdtOricaI utteranCeS since 1902
The coWman's contention throughout
this period is based upon the admitted
theory Of the numerical growth of the
army of meat eaters in this country.
and the reputed extraordinary increase
- demand nccasioned as consequence
II war in the far eastern world. while
production has barely kept pace with
former domestic requirements.
il has required no other proof than
the unsatisfactory account of sales and
the accompanying check sent shippers
to the big eastern selling places in re-
turn Tor their COnsiEnments of cattle
10 cOnVincingly establish to such pro-
ducers that the price OF their commod-
lty has been bumped for about a third
~ Its value since this last season of
Low selling set in: and coincident with
these disappointing returns. city con-
sGmeTs who buy their beef from the
cutters on the block, nave uttered their
louder voiced protests against eXtor-
tonate charges for steaks and rOasts,
NTH the big packers and the dealers
who distribute their supplies have been
oNecrated and generally lambasted
from John O'GrOats to Land End.
Cattle Values Shrink.
The shrink in value to the cowman
may be safely estimated at from Sl2 TO
$15 on each one of his big steers since
me slump set. in, and as the values of
1at cattle have continued low for so
iCng time AZ TO affect all other
classes, the latter have CORRESPONDENCE
" deprecated and are selling all over
the country today at from p to 30 per
cent OF the prices they sold readily for
two years since. And at that. trade is
dull and has been TO a degree which has
Fepf surplus Utah cattle on home
ranges for another years growth or
such winter feeding as will keen them
IL condition for butchers use between
now and spring.
The latter alternative occasions the
worry under which the coWman now
works, with steers that he hoped 10
market off sumner grass before snow
began 10 fly; but the extra cost of feed
ing hay, pulp or grain, as the case. may ,
&c, IN view Of the Increasing local
Coast and sound demand. from
now on until grass time may prove
something Of blessing if it educates
stockmen to devote more time and ca re !
10 preparing their cattle for the use OF
C nsumers, and 20 the utilizati ton of
home grown feed that viii accomplish
Sach desired results. There's a chance |
@ course that the spring prices for fat |
steers will not sufficiently advance over