The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-18
REASONS FOR HIGH
PRICE OF MEATS
Col. Ike Pryor of Texas Gives
His Views on Subject
LESS STOCK rs RAISED
Abandonment of Farms and .COnsc-
guent Cutting Down of Amount of
Feedstuffs Is Also Given m
Cause of High Prices

San Antonio, Tex, February 17.-(Spe-
oia1.A-Local cattlemen are of the opinion
that the present high price of beef is
largely due to a considerable increase IN
the price of feedstuffs and to gradual
decline in the stock industry. Ike L.
PRYOR. up to a few months ago presi-
dent of the Texas Cattle Raisers' asso-
c,ation. when interviewed on the question
said;
errhere are several conditions that have
led I'm to the present prices. Taklng
all of them into consideration it would
appear to mo that tho cost of meat is
normal In the first place, the consumer
ia no longer content with low, or even
average grades of meat. What he wants
ia the best In view of the fact that the
choice cuts on a beef, for instance, are
few. this alone would have tendency
to force up the price. Feedlng STEERS
has become very expensive uhoertah-
ING during recent years. Formerly one
of them could be put in fine condition for
tbe market for about $40 and sometimes
even IS; today it costs about go TO ia''en
the animal up. The ranges recently nave
been poor and the price of corn mas oeeh
constantly going up.
"Another factor entering strongly into
the question is the Capitalization OIL the
neople of this country in the cities ana
the resulting abandonment OF farms' foi
some time past everybody has peen rush
inr into the factory and farming mas
been neglected. The price for cattle on
the ranch has not advanced appreciabiy'
though I am not now prepared TO say
definitely what its relation TO the pres
emit prices of beef are. According 10 an
indications it is the price OF feed that
ia responsible for the conditions that
have led to the meat boycott In the
north and east"
T. ~ Gibbons, manager of the Houston
Packing company, expressed similar oPih-
ions. He assigned the scarcity OF hogs
as one of the causes of the high price
of meat. The hog market, he said, had
hean 40 moor for some time that Chicago
packers had been obliged to pay cents
and over per live pound. Mr.. Gibbons
attitude toward the boycott was one OF
indifference He said;
sIt is any mans privilege to eliminate
meat from his table. Meat is no higher
in proportion to any other article OF diet
at this time. In my opinion the agita-
tion will be over in a weeks time"
While top steers OF about HOO pounds
have recently brought as much as 81
per hundredweight, the average price for
them has been SO 80 and even lower at
times. This price, of course, means de-
livery at the stookyard. All shrinkage is
borne by the shipper. The average fed
steer will butcher at SO per cent sale
able meat, which at current prices paid
by the butchers would bring the pack
ing house about $50 gross, or nearly twice
the price paid for the steer. The So per
cent waste, however, Is not all loss by
any means, because from it are manu-
featured many Of the by-products of the
packing house.
That scarcity Of cattle may be respon-
sible for the present high prices Of meat
is an indication of the stock assess
ment rolls of the state of Texas An
almost uniform decrease Of alarming pro-
portions is reported by them. 1t Is shown
that the loss in cattle amounts to nearly
the usual annual increase, T4lyf heaus
Hogs have decreased by 6S,H8 animals
and sheep number 66,8S3 less than last
year. The totals are as follows: Five mil
lion, five hundred and fifty-eight thou
sand. eight hundred and seventy-six head
of cattle as against 6, 233. 078; 1862 hogs,
as against 1.167,17s. and 1,436.s25 head of
sheep as against 1,4sS. $685.
A cause for these conditions Is not
hard to find. In the first place the phase
of transition the state is in Is largely
responsible for this. The large ranges
of former years are being cut up into
farms and large herds Of cattle are for
this reason either reduced or disposed of
entirely. Last year also the pastures
were not good and the stockmen were
Obliged to sell more than they would
have done otherwise. A slight increase
to the producer in the case of hogs
caused decided unloading of them and
the same appears to be true in the case
of sheep. In the meantime the farmers
who are taking the place Of the cattle
and sheep raisers have not had time to
make themselves felt In this market and
in all probability several years must
elapse before the southwest becomes once
more an important factor In the country s
meat supply. This for the reason that
most of the farming done now in these
parts produces vegetables, cotton and
fruit, Industries not particularly favor
able to the raising Of stock.
While, as far as southwest Texas Is