The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-02-28
WEDNESDAY, FEE. 20, 1906.
GOVERNMENT LIVESTOCK FIGURES.

The practical stOckman is tempted
to smile every time the statistician of
the federal department of agriculture
announces his annual estimate Of live.
stock in the United States. With an
air Of supreme self-confdence, this
government official complies an ex.
hibit which purports to show the exact
number of livestock of each kind 10
various parts of the country. He does
not confine himself to round numbers,
as that would look too much like guess
work. but permits his hand to wander
over the hundreds, ten and unit keys
of his adding machine without regard
to the probable inaccuracies of his
compilation.
In dealing with Montana livestock.
for instance, the government statisti-
clan informs the public in the most
positive name that there are exactly
964,579 cattle in this state, and that
their average value is S17.99 per head.
This will be news, indeed, to the
a of this class of livestock, and
possibly some Of them will wonder
how the federal statistician acquired
his information. Many of the larger
cattle outfits In Montana do not know
the eX act size of their herds, and how
a government official, sitting in his
Office at Washington, is able to count
every animal on the range and arrive
at the exact total announced, is some.
thing they do not clearly understand.
1t Is a feat in enumeration which
would stump any ordinary citizen.
In the matter of sheep, the govern
ment statistician grinds u the state.
ment that on January l OF this year
there were exactly 5,75l, TAG head in
Montana, with ar average value of
S3.4S per head. How he managed to
count them all, and arrive at their
value, would be an act of discourtesy
to inquire. Last year this govern
ment livestock authority said there
were 5,63S, 1867 head Of sheep in Mon.
tana. and it Is the opinion of nearly
all the local authorities that:the hocks
OF the state have decreased during the
past twelve months. But this Wash
tnRton figure manipulation declares
there has been an increase of exactly
1871 head, emitting, however, to
give the source of his information.
This government statistician Is an
erratic kind of genius, anyway, and
sometimes finds occasion to change
his "system." About six years ago,
he came to the conclusion that there
was something the matter with his
sheep census, and made a most re.
markable jump In his figures. For
the year 1900, he calculated there were
45,0OO,OOO sheep in the United States,
but for some reason or other he de-
cided to increase that estimate about
10 per cent. in his figures for the fol.
lowing year. His sheep estimate for
1901 was 62,876, los head, aud was so
published: but these figures were so
palpably absurd,that he reduced them
the following year to 4S, 69S, 800 head.
After enumerating the different
classes of livestock in the various
states for the current year, the gov-
eminent statistician arrives at the
following as the total number of live.
stock in the United States at the pres
ent time:
Cattle 49,. . 49,. sc, SCI ,O3l
HOgs.......... 80. ....5o, lO2, SAT
Sheep .......5O, 63l ,6l9
horses ............... IL, 1lS,51S
In making public this estimate of
the number Of livestock in the coun.
try, the government statistician has
one advantage which no one will care
to dispute. IT any question is raised
as to the accuracy of his figures, he
can demand Of the critic that the lat.
ter produce statistics that are guar
anteed to be more nearly correct.
That Is something the critic would be
unable to do. 1t is a case in which
q guess may be about as good as
another.