The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-15
Government Reports Show That There
VIII be Scarcity in the
Supply Mighty
1 Soon.
ARE SEVERAL REASONS
There Was Danger Even Before the
Drought Came Along and
Spoiled the Corn
Crop.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service. ]
4 WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.--Not only
does the United States face famine
in It's domestic meat supply but strin-
gent rules covering meat importations
may debar meat and cattle from other
great meat supplying nations. The
situation Is critical.
This was the statement made to the
United Press today by DR.. D. A. Ram
sey, chief of the inspection division of
the bureau OF animal industry. The
crisis in meat exhaustion, which has
been approaching for years has been
hastened by the great drought over
Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ne
braska, Oklahoma and the southwest
simultaneously contagious diseases OF
live stock In Argentina, Australia,
New Zealand and the Indies, the only
other sources OF supply, have devel-
oped.
THE department OF agriculture now
have inspectors in Argentine, Aus
tralia and New Zealand studying CON
ditions there 80 that we may formu.
late entrance inspection regulations
for dressed meats and live stock,
said DR.. Ramsey. "Advices indicate
that In Argentina particularly, there
are epidemics of virulent hoof and
mouth diseases and ticks. These dis
eases will prevent the entrance of Ar
] gentine meats, for this country mus
4 protect itself. We have had ssvera
scourges OF this nature and they cos
the country millions Of dollars. Ever
now and DR.. Ramsey pointed out ;
j red-spotted map"you see that WI
have a great district from Florida K
eastern Texas quarantined against thu
tick disease. There Is great deal o
talk about how free meat in the nev
i tariff measure will relieve the strin
gency. | cannot foresee that result
i Dressed beef now only carries ten pc
4 cent duty and even If meat is free,
B will have to come in under the depart
4 ment's meat inspection rules and Al
4 gentiner-the greatest source of SUI
ply-at present does not live UP t
them.
Their method Of killing is not a
sanitary as ours. OF course after tn
inspection and entrance rules are TO
!, mulated, the department may keep
staff of inspectors down there VIII
will certify all meat before 1t leave
port Otherwise all dressed meat an
!, live stock will have to be examine
in quarantine.
"The drought in the middle wes
has been most serious. 1t means ths
Mexican cattle and the grass fed ca
tie from the southwest that have her
:. tofore been driven to the middle ives
: ern fattening corrals will have I
haven The visible supply Of beef
the drought section is being sold
, the thousand heads in the open ma
ket now because stock men have /
| feed and foresee famine this w1nte
The immediate result of course, will |
lowering of prices because the su
ply exceeds the demand. But later
| the season when the demand becom'
greater and prices soar the supp
| promises to be gone.
/ Ramsey pointed out that with exec
| lent crops last year the meat impor
for 1912, for the first time in the hi
tory Of the country, exceeded export
| The statistical bureau of agricl
ture figured that the outlook for Il
corn crop was not much better tn;
fifty percent as against over 85 perce
| last year On August i, the date wh'
II the official figures were compiled, t,
corn crop was estimated at 75.5 pt
| cent. Since then the drought in Z
| middle west has taken on its me
! !serious phase and wrought its create
| damage.
| Oats, 1t Is estimated will not vic
over sixty percent as against 81.5 P
cent last year On August / the p
centage was 1871 against 90.3 perce
over the corresponding period of 19
During the first five months of IL
year twenty percent less live sto
was slaughtered than during the fl
five months of 1912 This disease al
occurred before the drought, VIII
feed was plentiful.
The department Of agriculture
clared they saw no remedy to p
vent the approaching meat fami-
Sheep, hogs and cattle have grea
decreased in number, and on this /
ance thousands are being rushed
the market today with no dema