The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-09-13
THE PRICE OF OUR MEATS
SOMEBODY is MAKING ENTIRELY
TOO MUCH PROFIT ON THEM.
Difference of 300 Per Cent Between
Producer and Consumer. Texas
Cattlemen to Investigate.

in it's plans there Will be either
> drop in the price of meat products
or a rise in the price of cattle OF
the hoof. The members of the as
ISOLATION own approximately 6,0O0,.
= 1000 head Of cattle 1t is estimated
that it takes about u acres to Craze
one head of cattle on the Texas
range. On this basis the total acre
age of ranches in the state IS ap-
proximately 100000 acres.
The value of the land ranges from
IS to $50 an acre, with say SIS as
an average. The aggregate value of
the holdings of the members is there
fore close to $1,000,O0O,O00.
Belonging to the association are
men who count their cattle by tens
of thousands. Two or three of the
largest ranches would make a terri
! tory as large as some of the smaller
states. The domain owned by Mrs
! Henrietta NJ. King embraces 1858
square miles, which is 800 square
miles more than the area of Rhode
Island. Upon the King ranch there
are branded each year between 3d.
| 600 and 10000 calves, and the cattle
holdings aggregate about 125, 900
head
A Difference of 800 Per Cent.
Such is the association which pro-
poses to call the packers and retail
ers to account It's president, Ed G.
Lasater, says that there is no just
ground for the difference of 500 per
cent that exists between what the
producer gets for his cattle and what
the consumer pays for the product.
There is something radically wrong
somewhere, he declares, and it is
the purpose of the association to find
out about it. With this end in view
Mr. Lasater recently called joint
meeting Of the producers Of the cat
tie and consumers Of meat products
to be held at Fort Worth in Septem-
Der to discuss the situation.
The low price of cattle that has
prevailed for several months has
aroused the Texas cattlemen to ac-
ton. Notwithstanding the unusually
low prices which the stOckmen have
been receiving for their cattle meat
prices have maintained their old high
standard. 1t is declared by Mr.. Las
alter that either the packers or the
middlemen are making too much
profit. The members of the associa-
ton want whatever legitimate profit
there is in the industry to be fairly
distributed, and if a middle course
can be agreed on by which the prices
| of cattle can be raised and those of
meats reduced the result will be of
| benefit to the whole country.
CattIemen Are Losers.
The meeting at Fort Worth is to
be participated in by the members of
the association, delegates from the
Farmers Congress and from the Far
mers' Union of the state and repre-
sentative citizens from various cities,
towns and communities to be ap-
pointed by the governor, commission
er of agriculture, county judges and
mayors.
According to the statistics of the
association there has not been a dol
lars profit to it's members in the
industry this year Many of them
have sold their cattle at loss, the
price being So hundredweight less
than that of last year. The associa-
! ton has made appeal after appeal
| to the packers for an explanation Of
| the causes that have lowered the
price of cattle and at the same time
maintained the old high prices of
meats. The only explanation that
has been received is the statement of
the packers that the retailer is to
| blame. When the question is put to
| the retailer he shrugs his shoulders
/ and does not offer any explanation.
! Mr.. Lasater says he has evidence that
! both the packer and the retailer are
4 at fault. Just what remedy is practi-
cable will be considered at the COM
! ing meeting.
4 The suggestion has been made that
if the cattle raisers of Texas and of
! the whole country, or even of the
west, press a united demand for a
more equitable adjustment of prices
for live stock and meats the packers
and retailers cannot stand out
against them. Mr.. Lasseter says it
is as much a fight of the consumer
as it is of the cattlemen.
lAS C0DOCldtIOu SAlDID lOl the LII
tual benefit of members. Through
it's efforts cattle thieving has been
reduced to a minimum. Uniform
regulations as to quarantine and 9TH
er matters relating to the cattle in
dustry have been adopted It's pres
ent scheme has the sympathy and
active support of practically every
cattleman in Texas and is arousing
interest among consumers not only
in this state but throughout tbs
country. The Fort Worth meeting
is expected to be only preliminary tt
the big fight that is to be waged
1t is considered not improbable that
it may lead to a national meeting tt
deal with the subject to be held in
st. Louis, Kansas City or Chicago
1t is Mr.. Lasater's plan to urge the
stock farmers all over the country
as we'll as consumers generally tx
interest themselves in bringing about
a reduction in the price of meat