Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-09-18
WILSON SEES
BEEF SHORTAGE
SECRETARY IN REPORT WILL
POINT our DANGER AND
suaaEsT CURE.
EXPORTS FALLING OFF
Investigations chow That Argentina
Uruguay are Fast Becoming RI
walls Of This Country In Eu-
ropean Markets.


ropean Markets.
Washington, D. c., Sept. 1e.-In his
Forthcoming annual report James VII.
son, secretary OF agriculture, will call
the attention of congress and the
country in a graphic way to some
startling condition in the beef trade
of the United States The fact that
there has been decrease of 2,1S7,000
In the number Of cattle in this country
IN the past two years and that the ex-
ports Of cattle have dropped off nearly
100000 In the last eight or nine
months, Is giving the department If
agriculture a great deal of concern.
The price Of beef has gone steadily
higher in the United States, while it
appears to have remained at a fair
reasonable standard abroad Last
year, for the first time in history, the
shipments Of South American beef in
to England exceeded the shipments
from America. The European market
for that product Is said to be growing
by leaps and bounds.
culture probably will make no refer
ence in his report to the rumors that
persons interested in cattle raising in
Uruguay and Argentine are preparing
to invade the American markets with
frozen beef, he undoubtedly has been
apprised Of them and may have some
views to express concerning such a
trade innovation later. For the pres
ent IL can be said that the department
OF agriculture Is well cognizant of the
state of affairs existing on the cattle
ranges in this country and proposes
at least to open up the subject for dis
cussion before the beef prices climb
out OF sight.
South American Rivalry Felt.
The decline in the beef exports, the
bureau ofaanimal industry believes, IS
due to economic conditions at home
coupled with increased supplies in the
English markets from other sources,
chiefly Argentina. The fundamental
cause. it is thought. is the shortage
in our own supply of beef cattle with
the resulting high prices of beef IN
the home markets.
Restriction on the range and the
high prices In the feeding districts are
assigned as the chief cause Of the big
cattle shortage. The free public range
now is limited affair, owing to the ex
tent of the forest reservations and
the grazing regulations imposed by
their management. Hay for winter
range feeding is expensive and in the
feeding grounds of the middle west
the stock raiser now is paying from
Sc to 80 cents for corn which two
years ago cost him from 80 to 66 cents.
The consequence h 6 been discourage
ment to cattle raising, If the figures in
this connection are to be believed. In
1907 the estimated number of cattle
in the United Sta S was 51.566.000.
In 1908 this figure dropped to 50,073-
600 and on Jan. / of this year it had
gone to 49,379,000.
$2o,ooo.ooo Loss in Two Years.
The report of the secretary of agri-
culture will show "a decrease of 500
100000 in the cattle business in the
two years of 1907 and 1908 The ex-
portation of cattle in 1906 was valued
at S3S.273.132: in 1907, s33,796. 425,
and in 1908. s24 ,034,193 The reports
for the first seven months of 1909
show a decrease of nearly $4,000 in
the number of cattle exported as
compared with the similar period of
1909
It has been ascertained by the de-
partment that while the price of beef
at Chicago rose perceptibly in 1908.
the prices of meat produced by the
smaller animals, such as hogs and
sheep, has changed little.
In connection with the rumor that
the South American countries soon
will begin struggle to get into the
American markets with their beef, is
a special report received this week
from Consul Frederic w. Cooling at
Montevideo, Uruguay, in which he
says that Americans have been col
lecting data there relative to the ship
ment Of beef and mutton to New York.
The time may be rapidly approach
ing" says the consul, when the
meat consumed by the people living
along the Atlantic coast Of the United
States must be supplied from the
River Plate countess
Uruguay Beef Comparatively Cheap.
Consul Cooling expresses the BELIEF
that Uruguay beef may be laid down
in New York for from 51a to G cents
a pound. The government of Uruguay
recently passed an act which relieves
the shippers of frozen meat from the
payment of an export duty for period
of ten years provided the meat is pre-
pared in that country.
S. H. Cowan. attorney for the Ma
tional Stock Growers association, who
is in Washington, says the price of
beef probably is going higher; that
stock raisers simply have not the sup
ply of cattle they maintained former
~. Mr. Cowan asserts there is a
shortage of million head at the
stockyards this year as compared
with the shipments of year ago.