Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-25
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
SEEKS TO INCREASE NUMBER
OF CATTLE.
CITY AeATroIRs NEEDED
TO MEET LOCAL DEMANDS
Built iu Smaller Towns, Competitive
Markets For Livestock Would Be A.
forded and Small Farmers Eneour-
ased-Boys Urged to Participate IN
Swine Contests.

Washington, Sept. 25.-The depart
ment of agriculture made public an ex-
tensive program by which it hopes to
increase the American meat supply.
The department will recommend and
foster the following:
1. The establishment Of municipal alb
attors turnout the country.
2. The raising of stock by small farm
ers.
3. The formation of cooperative live
stock associations by the farmers of
New England, the south Atlantic states
and the middle west.
4. The formation Of boys pig clubs.
similar to the boys corn clubs. which
the department has been fostering for
several years.
The beef situation is regarded as
serious by congress. as well as the de-
partment Of agriculture and one Of the
first items of legislation which will be
rushed thru at the regular session Will
be the Smith-Lever agricultural extern
sion bill.
Must Aid Small Farmers.
The enactment Of this bill into law
will do much to encourage the raising
of beef cattle by the small farmer, ac-
cording to Representative Lever. of
South Carolina. chairman Of the house
committee on agriculture.
Secretary Houston appeared before
the Lever committee and sad that the
only way in which the beef supply can
be increased is to encourage the raising
OF cattle by the small farmers. He said
the reason the small farmer does not
raise cattle now is that he does not
regard it as profitable as raising crops.
The department Of agriculture and
the agricultural colleges Of the country
have much information to wipe out this
belief of the farmer, and the passage
Of the Lever bill, according to the sec
rotary. will place this information at
the use Of the farmer thru departmental
and collegiate experts.
City Abattoirs Needed.
Assistant Secretary Galloway also
appeared at the hearing. Later he said
the solution Of the meat problem lies
in the establishment Of municipal abat-
toirs.
There is one thing" Secretary CAL
loway said, which haven't seen men
cago packers convention, upon which
ponds, in my estimation. In fact, I
don't think it will be solved until it is
taken up and done.
THAT is the establishment Of abat-
toirs by the smaller municipalities Of
the country, to which the farmer can
go and dispose Of his livestock, have it
slaughtered, and have it held for favor
able markets.
There is now one of these abattoirs in
Paris. Tex. and 1t has been most sue
cessful. Another is contemplated by
the municipality Of Alexandria, Va.
They are common all over Europe. es-
pecially France. but so far have been
little thought Of in this country.
Will Provide Composition.
Their establishment will give the
farmer competitive market in which
to dispose Of his cattle. This alone will
be an incentive for the production Of
cattle. Now farmer who raises cattle
has to dispose Of them as rule to
stock buyers. who come thru the coun-
try spasmodically. These buyers in
turn. ship the cattle to Chicago. The
result is that the farmer wants to make
a profit: the buyers want to make
profit and the packers want to make a
profit above the shipping expenses.
This means that the farmer can not
make much of profit, because the
distance from him to the ultimate con-
sumner Of the beef is too great. The
establishment Of abattoirs. however.
will furnish him with ready market.
where he can always make cash sale.
"The real issue is that the farmer
will produce cattle as soon as he finds
Il profitable business. He is not on the
farm from charitable motives. but from
business motives The great question
with him is: Will II nay? AS long as
crops are more sa1able than cattle he
will raise and sell CROPS. Once he is
convinced that cattle are more salable
than crops. he will raise both crops and
cattle. feed the former to the latter, and
then sell the cattle
Can Not Depend on Ranches.
1--WE are doing many things such as
have been snoeestad at the Chicae 90
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