Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-09-16
BIG LOSS IN BEEF
United States Threatened With
Invasion by Foreign Pro-
ducers.
PRICES MOUNT STEADILY
sharp Decline in Number of Animals
Raised i'm Last Two Years
South America to Front.

Washington. Sept. 16.--In his
forthcoming annual report James
Wilson. secretary of agriculture. will
all the attention of congress and
the country in graphic way to some
startling conditions in the beef trade
of the United States The fact that
there has been a decrease of 2,1S7,-
600 in the number of cattle in this
country in the last two years and
that the exports of cattle have drop
ped off nearly 100000 in the last
eight or nine months. is giving the
department of agriculture great
deal of concern.
The price of beef has gone steadily
higher in the United States, while it
appears TO have remained at a fairly
reasonable standard abroad. Last
year. for the first time IN history. the
shipments of South American beer
into England exceeded the shipments
from America The European mar
ket for that product is said to be
growing by leaps and bounds.
May Bring Beef Here.
Although the secretary of agricul-
ture probably will make no refer
enoe in his report to the rumors that
persons interested in cattle raising in
Uruguay and Argentina are prepar-
ing to invade the American markets
with frozen Def. he undoubtedly has
been apprised of them and may have
some views to express concerning
such trade innovation later. For
the present it can be said that the
department of agriculture is we'll cog
infant of the state of affairs existing
on the cattle ranges in this country
and proposes at least to open up the
subject for discussion before the beef
prices climb out of sight.
south American Rivalry Felt.
The decline in the beef exports, the
bureau of animal industry believes.
is due 10 economic conditions at home
coupled with increased supplies in
the English markets from other
sources, chiefly Argentina. The fun
damental cause, it is thought. is the
cattle with the resulting high prices
of beef in the home markets
Restrictions 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 extent OF the forest
reservations and the grazing regu-
lations imposed by their manage
ment Hay for winter range feeding
is expensive and in the feeding
grounds of the middle west the stock
raiser now is paying from So to 50
cents for corn which two years age
cost him from 80 TO G6 cents. The
consequence has 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 States was 81,
566, 900. I'm 1908 this figure drop
ped to 5o.07S,000 and on Jan of
This year it had gone to 49,379,000
S:o.000,G00 Loss in Two Years -
The report OF the secretary of ag-
ricultare will show decrease Of
see. 600, 900 in the cattle business in
the two years of / 907 and 1908 The
expectation of cattle in 1906 was
valued at ,$3S,273.132; in 1907 $780,
796,425 and in 1908. $24 .034. 1873
The reports for the first seven months
of 1909 show a decrease of nearly
$4,000 in the number of cattle ex-