Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-26
Excessive Cost Of Food.
To the Editor Of The Star:

In a recent lecture before mems club
In this city a representative of the De-
partment' Of Agriculture gave very il
Illuminating talk on the excessive cost OF
food and the reasons therefor. He showed
first that there had been an increase of
from 70 to so per cent In the cost of
meat, milk and eggs to the consumer dur
ing the past five or ten years. He also
showed that with reference to beef the
advance was due largely to the public
demand for the choicest cuts. The rem
edy for this state of things is, in part,
with the consumers, who must elect to
purchase the cheaper cuts of meat and
SO equalize prices, rather than to resort
to a boycott OF the entire meat industry,
which will certainly result in higher
prices because of scarcity in the sup
ply. The real question pertains to the
cost of the whole beef. Why does the
farmer receive more for his live cattle,
and the packer for his dressed meat, and
the retailer for his steaks and roasts and
joints? The farmer must OF necessity
receive increased returns for his prod
ucts, since his lands have increased in
value from 80 to 80 per cent, resulting
in increased taxation. Likewise has the
cost Of labor increased and of farm ma
chinery and Of feed for work animals.
The farmer having a large acreage suited
for grain and grass and stock-raising ID
quite Independent of f1uctuating market
prices in meat, since he can raise his
own feed and sell stock when prices are
highest. But the farmers of limited
acreage, who constitute the vast majority,
If they engage in stock-raising, whether
for butchers products or dairy products,
must purchase part of the feed.
The stock farmer with limited means
must necessarily sell before this season
closes. or when his cattle have matured
for market. The attempt to hold them
for q rising market might prove disas-
trous because of the cost of food The
consumer must not complain If he has
to share in this risk which the pro-
Queer takes in attempting to supply
the cattle market.
Now just here, 1T seems, is the crux
OF the whole question, How To guaro
and milk to the consumer depends
solely upon the law of supply and de-
mand throughout the whole country, all
would be well, and tho consumer would
quietly submit to the situation and go
without what Injuries he could not At
| ford. But is that all? BY no means.
Admitting that the cost to the average
farmer of producing stock depends upon
| the price Of grain and hay, the profit
OF farming is largely with his neigh
Dor who raises the feed. No one blames
ket can afford for his products, but the
| question of serious import to the con.
sumner Is. Who fixes the price on thar hat
grain and hay Is II i,SeT WIZ ns do aes
| the grain-raising farmer now receive
| 81. 10 per bushel for his wheat and IS
cents for his corn? Does scarcity OF
| these two staple cereals in this, coun-
| try determine those prices? Is the Tor
| eien demand for them so excessive as
| to warrant these abnormal figures? NO
one believes it. The figures do not
Tine truth is that these prices are deter
mined by the operators upon the boards
| of trade, the sharks in the combine, !"
| who buy up all the grain I'm storehouses.
| and all food products in cold storage, and
| hold these for speculative purposes until
they have produced a fictitious shortage.
| and. can dictate fictitious prices to the
country; and to the gamblers in FLU
lures" who bet upon the prices OF food
| to be delivered at some future date, and
who thus influence the present marHet
| disastrously.
What follows these Operations" on
change? The stock raiser Mortified at
the prospect of inflated prices, disposes of
| his stock and goes out of business. Short
Iy thereafter the frightened packer
rushes into print with his tale of dire ca
| lamity confronting the nation because of
| the scarcity OF beef. and In anticipation
thereof initiates his price dressed meat
| taller does the same. only to an exag-
gerated degree. The astonishing fact is
| that prices once abnormally boosted by
| the speculator and the gambler never VI
brate ,elow the normal stage, and the
| consumer Is never treated to bargain
day" sale Of food products because of a
glut In the market
prices Of food products? Plain, to pro-
hibit. on pain Of Imprisonment the COM
| bining and gambling In futures upon all
| food products. w. +. DE RIEMER.