Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-01-13
FREE HIDES MEAN
LOSS Of $3.50 A HEAD
TO CATTLE RAISERS
President of National Live
Stock Men Says Raising OF
Cattle Has Been Hurt by
Tariff

FORT WORTH, Tex, Jan. S.-With
Governor-elect Colquitt President Cal
len, of the Texas Cattle Raisers' asso
citation, and Mayor Davis welcoming
them, 1000 members Of the American
National Live Stock association began
their fourth annual convention in Fort
Worth today. The meeting win last
three days.
President H. A. Jastro, of Bakersfield,
Cal, in his annual address advocated
the classifying of government grazing
lands by the United States forestry
service to prevent overgrazing; high
tariff on cattle: the removal of the tax
on olemargerine and reinstatement OF
the duty on hides. The placing of hides
on the free list, he said, had resulted
in a fearful loss to the cattle industry
of the United States.
President Jastro announced that he
would not under any circumstances ac-
cept third term. Murdo Mckenzie, of
Trinidad, Col, first vice president, ac-
cordisg to custom, will be elected to
succeed him.
CITIES WANT CONVENTION.
Denver and Cheyenne each have strong
delegations in the city asking for the
stock associations of North America are
represented at the meeting The United
States government has a special repre-
sentative of the animal. forestry and
sanitary bureaus present.
Mr. Jastro directed attention to the
many changes witnessed in the live
stock industry in the last ten years. II
has been a transition period, he said.
Big ranches have been cut up and sold
to smaller holders who are pursuing a
more diversified kind of agriculture and
stock raising Unlimited free range is
gone and public grazing land still re-
manning in semi-arid country is over
stocked and overgrazed.
The growth of the industry has not
quite kept pace with the increase in
population. with consequent diminu-
ton of meatAfood product for export.
PRICES TO CONTINUE
Prices for the last year on all kinds
of live stock have averaged higher than
for many years, but, the speaker be-
lleved, they would be maintained on sub
stantially the same basis for some time
10 come.
Despite the high prices. Mr.. Jastro
said the business of raising live stock
has not been as remunerative as in
former years. The gradual cleaning up
of the herds on the open ranges was
cited as conclusive proof Of that state
ment. Regarding high prices for food
products. DIR. Jastro declared that II the
tariff was responsible Il should be re-
vised by a nonlpartisan commission.
This association he asserted.
courts the most exhaustive inquiry into
the cost OF raising live stock and I
promise in advance the active support Of
the association in ascertaining all the
facts"
LOSS IN HIDES.
L Time he said. had proved the correct
ness of the statement he made last year,
that the placing of the hides on the
free list under the Payne-Aldrich tariff
bill meant loss to the cattle men OF
the United States of approximately $3.50
head.
Opposition to the railroads. desire to
increase rates was advocated by Mr..
Jastro, who also urged the association
to petition congress to enact legislation
providing for a valuation of the rail-
road property in the United States and
the fixing of a speed minimum for live
stock trains.
PLANT BLACK GRASS.
Efforts to reclaim arid regions in the
southwest by growing the now extinct
black grass on the deserts were APPROX
ed by the convention. Prof. j. j. Thorn
Der, of Tucson. Ariz. is experimenting
with this grass and hopes by its use to
AT these desert regions for pasturage.
This grass once grew profusely over the
southwest but is now found only at
experiment stations.
Efforts of the United States govern
ment to aid the stock raisers in pas
turing their herds on the forestry re-
serves were described at length by In
spector Barnes, of the forestry depart
ment The range. he said, was begin
ming to return to some of its old-time
fertility under the care of the govern
ment. The absence of range feuds be-
tween cattlemen and sheep men during
the last few years was commented upon
with pleasure by the speaker and the
cattle men.