The Washington herald., 1913-08-02
REPORT ON COST
OF BEEF.FILED
Law, Prohibiting Killing Of
Young Calves Is Recon-
mended by Body.
CAREFUL INQUIRY MADE
Chamber Of Commerce Committee Fa-
voirs Plan for Utilizing Reindeer
Meat from Alaska.
CAREFUL INQUIRY MADE

Following a careful and detailed inves-
tigation, the special committee of the
Chamber of Commerce on the high cost
of beef yesterday filed lengthy report
with the chamber. P. T. Moran, chair
man of the special committee, has spent
the last three months conducting the IT,
vestigation seeking to reduce the cost Of
living through legislation prohibiting the
slaughter Of calves under a certain age.
The practicab!Iity Of using Alaska for
producing reindeer meat has also been
considered.
The recommendation on which most
emphasis is placed is that Congress en-
act a law prohibiting the killing of beef
under a certain age. The report also APP
proves of the suggestion made by Sec
rotary Lane that roads be built In
Alaska affording an outlet for the rein
deer that may be raised profitably on
the 65GOo.OO0 acres of grazing lands.
Mr.. Moran's Plan has been approved by
farmers and cattlemen throughout the
country. and it is understood several
members of Congress are at present con-
templating introducing bills prohibiting
the slaughter of calves under a certain
age
People Must Solve Problem.
The report submitted yesterday by the
special committee is in part. as follows:
The cost Of high living is a problem
which the domestic economists must
teach the people to solve for themselves.
The luXures of dress, diet and amuse-
mcnts which were unknown twenty
years ago should be eliminated from the
items of the cost of living at the present
time. Cutting out luxuries. the great
bugbear left to be solved for the people
IL TO find means of reducing the price
Of meat and foodstuffs. Since supply
and demand regulate to a great extent
the price of an article, il behooves US as
members of the Chamber OF Commerce
Of the District of Columbia to examine
all the information the local farmers ard
the Bureau of Animal Industry can give,
and to assist by agitation and recommen-
datiOn, in the reduction of the cost =
living principally by the high cost OF
meat.
Many farmers have been interviewed
as TO why this condition exists and theI
declare that the chief cause of this scare
ltv Is the slaughter of young calves \
calf at six weeks will bring the farmer
almost as high price as a steer at ore
year, so there is little compensation for
the labor and expense of raising them
and they are for that reason hurried to
the market
Laws have been enacted in South
America making it a penalty to slaughter
female calves, heifers. or COWS under
six years of age. The result of these
laws has been very beneficial.
IF the Federal government would eli
act a law to prevent the butcher frur,
killing calves. the farmer would take
more kindly to raising herds of cattle
The United States is the greatest veal
consuming country in the world. TIE
humber of calves slaughtered has in
creased 100 per cent in the last ten
years
During 1911 there were SLAUGHTERED
100000 calves. weighing 5000. 200 pounds
If they had been allowed to live one
wear. they would have produced more
than 4ooo@1co0 pounds Of beef, to sup
rly the scarcity We now feel"