Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-31
PRICES OF CATTLE HIGHER
Mr.. Wadsworth Replies to Statement
Made by Secretary Wilson.
VALUES OF CROPS INCREASE
Producer IL Getting Much Better
Returns Than He Did Twelve
Years AgO-SOme Figures
Quoted,
(From a staff Correspondentl


WASHINGTON, Jan. 90.-(Special)-
Former Congressman James w. wads-
worth, who for ten years was chairman of
the committee on agriculture of the house
of representatives. disagrees with Secre-
tary Wilson upon the subject of "Who gets
the advance on account of the present high
price Of food"
Mr. Wilson, in his testimony before the
committee a day or two ago asserted that
the farmer is not receiving any of the In
crease of price and he further added that
2-year-old steers are bringing no more to-
day than they did twelve years ago.
Commenting upon the secretary's testi-
mony, Mr.. Wadsworth said today; 1T is
absurd to say that the farmer is not re-
ceiving any of the additional money which
is being paid for food products. l have
been In the cattle business ever since my
early manhood and I am receiving higher
prices for my range fed cattle than at any
time since the civil war with the single
exception of one occasion, when there was
sudden call for steers in Boston which
increased the price In western New York
am speaking now OF cattle that have
never had a pound of garin fed to them
My recent sales netted me $3.50 per 100
pounds for such stock, which is consider
ably higher than have been able to oh
tain before in the last thirty years. Then,
too, feeder lambs are bringing 616 cents
per pound, which is very much higher than
the average price for the last ten years.
am not speaking now of fancy fatted lambs,
but what are commercially known as
feeders" In the village of Geneseo, in
which I live, baled hay is selling at SIT.
per ton, which means net to the farmer
SIS. Baled straw brings SIS, or net $12.
What wheat had to sell last fall brought
$1.25 a bushel while white beans which
are the staple money crop of several of
the counties of western New York, will
bring 1926 a bushel.
Secretary Wilson asserts that 2-year-old
steers bring no more today than they did
twelve years ago. 1 am willing to enter
into a bond to buy 10000 head of those ami
mails at the same price as my books show
I paid twelve years ago, and in addition
will pay the secretary a commission Of s.
per head, or $4,000 in ALL II he can obtain
the animals for me at the price prevailing
In 1896
There are enumerable causes for the in
crease in price of all food products, con-
tinued Mr.. Wadsworth, and 1t may be true
that the farmer is not receiving proper
he should when comparisons are made with
the retail prices, but the secretary is care
less when he makes the assertion credited
to him, for everyone who know the agri-
cultural conditions of this country knows
that the farmer today is receiving much
better prices than he has ever done before.
Take one item, continued Mr.. Wadsworth,
which shows how some of the farm prod
ucts have advanced In recent years. and
! that is the item of cheese. The ruling
price for New York factory cheese in the
cheese centers of the state land New York
is admitted to be the greatest cheese state
in the union) today is in the neighborhood
of II cents per pound. In 1870 and II the
price ruled from cents to s cents, and so
far as my recollection goes there never
was a time when cheese brought the price
1t Is bringing today. Cheese is made di-
rectly for the farmer. They carry the milk
Of their herds to the factory where It is
made into cheese at a uniform price rang
ing from $3.50 to $40 per 100 pounds. 1t is