Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-02-03
Raised on the Farm, Prices Will
Be Greater Than the Con-
sumer Can Stand.
DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY
Consumption Of Farm Products
Steadily Outrunning iaeir
Production-Ranches Taken
Up by Homesteaders.

Watertown, n. Y, Feb 2-Presldant i.
c. Schurman Of Cornell University de-
clared In IN address before the New
York Stnte Orange here Inst night that
the consumption OF farm products is
outrunning their production. The cort OF
producing meat, he said. may In the
future, under considerations which he
forecnsted. bo greater han the con-
sumner can stand President Schurman
snid:
Every one Is concerned to-day about
the advance IN tho cost of living Somo
ascribe It to the Increase In the worlds
production of gold with the resulting
tendency 10 universal increase in
prices The trusts are blamed for It by
others, who charge them with mono
policing important articles OF consump-
don. In our own country there seems
to be IL set determination on the part OF
the government 10 destroy trusts which
are monopolizing articles OF universal
consumption and raising the prices on
the consumer. And OF course this Is the
only proper method 10 pursue.
But it may very well be that the
causes of this increase in the cost of
living lie deeper than is generally sup
posed. The population of the country Is
increasing. The consumption Of farm
products is outrunnng their production
And as our uuoccupied lands are now
exhausted. it is costing more to produce
articles of food than formerly. Look
for example, at the subject of beef
Cattle were formerly produced In vast
numbers and at a comparatively small
cost on great ranches throughout the
West. These ranches however. have now
been taken up by honestoad"rs who use
the land for farming Aurpqtes. Ranch
ing IS. therefore, rapidly becoming n
hing OF the past. More and more IN the
future cattle viii be supplied to the
market from small herds owned by
farmers. Meanwhile. we stand between
the era Of ranching. which is not
adequately developed TO meet the needs
Of our increasing population"
Dr. oc.urman presented statistics show
ing the decline in the number of cattle
and swine in this country during tie
year 1903 He asked: lis 1t surprising
thaC the price of beef cattle on the farm
has increased during these Twelve months
II per cent. or the price of hogs 10 per
cent
These ngures.' he added. suggest
new problems for the farms. The cattle
of the future will be raised not on
ranches, but on farms. II Will. therefore.
cost more to put them on the market.
Whether the consumer can stand the
price will be a question for him to deter
mine. In any event the farmer must not
be charged with raising the prices. for
the farmer will be furnishing the pro-
duct under conditions far more un-
favorable than those in the past. From
the point OF view of economics 1t is of
course absurd to speak of the farmer as
raising the prices, as the farmer either
individually or collectively is not and can
not be either Il trust or syndicate. The
price of the meat will ultimately be
determined by the cost Of production ana
The price from day TO day by the de-
mand AS | have intimated. however,
it may well be that tho cost OF producing
meat for universal consumption will
under these new conditions be greater
than the consumer can stand"