The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-01
MEAT SUPPLY AND PRICES.

While the peer trust -
charged right and left for the amor
mal1v high prices of meat and the re-
tail butchers are also being accuSeo
of doing their share to MAINTAIN eliese
-rices because of their desires for large
,,,.of5ts the fact will not down that the
,,ricas of meat must be due in large
measure to a shortage of the supply IN
food animals. as compared with the
Increased demand for them. Adol-
+ionaI confirmatory statistics that TINS
is so have Just been furnished by the
bureau of statistics of the department
of commerce and labor. They sho"
that the number of food animals III
the United states has decreased mil
lions since 1901. and that the mum eL
NJ consumers has increased IL millions
in the same time. By the term lou
ani,na1s'' in this instance is meant all
,att1e. sheep and swine in the United
states as estimated by the department
of agriculture, and the term "consum-
ers., includes all of the population as
estimated by the census bureau.
| The department. of agriculture hg-
11res nut the total number OF catlle III
the United States on January l. I9o1'
at 621s million; sheep, 50 q mll4lon'
and swine. 81 million. total of IL
| III. ~
mate is: Cattle 50 million; sheep, 81 a
million. and swine. 47A million, q
total of 1T4 million. decrease OF
million in the aggregate of the three
! pronns OF food animals. The census
estimates the population of the United
| states on June 1. 1901. at T7,647,0OO,
| and on June 1, 1910, at s9,912,O0o, an
increase of = little more than 1 2 mil
lion in the population while the num-
her of food animals was declining
ahout millions. This makes the total
number of food animals to each lou
nersous in 1901. 231. and 1910. but
I1e3 a decrease of 16 per cent in the
humber of food animals to each 100
persons residing in the United states
Meanwhile the total value of the
| food animals in the country has IN
creased despite the reduction in num-
Der. the department of agriculture es-
tinating the aggregate farm value OF
the 179 million cattle, sheep and swine
in 1901 at 1,943 million dollars. and
the aggregate farm value Of the III
millions in 1910 at 2.S6S million dol
Liars. This gives an increase of the ag'
. gregate value of % per cent. while tbs
r number was declining a. little less thar
: per cent, the increase in the average
farm value per animal of the entir'
I number of food animals being 25 Z:
] per cent.
4 The one class of food animals which
r shows an actual increase in the perlo'
: in question is cattle. of which the mum
9 Der in 1901 was 62.33S.s70, and L
t l1e1o, 69,OsO.o0o. an increase of abou
Il II per cent, while the population wa
increasing about 16 per cent The farn
value of cattle in 1901 is put a
IS ls1.411,7s7.0se. and in 1910. at 1857
# 761, 600, an increase of 20A per cen
e in value. while the number was IN
IS creasing about IL per cent. The aver
q age farm value per head of all cattl
q is given in 1901 at $22.65, and in 191
% at S24.S5. an increase of but s Il pc
n cent in value per head on the farm.
If 1.-The markets. however. beef prict
n showed a much larger advance. tn
/ New York wholesale price of "famil
n beef as shown in reports to the bl
" lreau of statistics, department of con
4r merce and labor. being $3.50 per bal
! lrel in the first week of January. 100
and SIS per barrel in the first wee