Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1913-08-22
COUNTRY FACES
MEAT FAMINE
Federal Officials See no Way
TO Keep Up Supply
SAY SITUATION is CRITICAL
Stringent Rules May Debar Beef From
Other Nations-Drought In Middle
West Hastens Crisis.


Other Nations-Drought In Middle
West Hastens Crisis.
Not only does the United Safes face
a famine in its domestic meat supply,
but stringent rules covering iic@t ill-
portations may debar meat and G tt.e
from other great meat supplying I....
tions.
"Ihe situation is critical" said DR..
D. A. Ramsey, chief OF the inspection
division of the bureau Of animal in
dustry. The crisis in meat exhaustion
has been approaching for years, but
has been fastened by the great
drought over Kansas, Iowa, Indiana,
Illinois, Nebraska, 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
developed.
"The department of agriculture 70"
has inspectors in Argentina. Aus.c &.ta
and New Zealand studying eonairss!sa
there SO that we may sorgris,.s ~
trance inspection regulations foT irts'
ed meats and live stock. AdYiccs IL. :.
cate that in Argentina particu..u'r
there are epidemics of the yirl >::
hoof and mouth disease and Il. -.
These diseases will prevent the e.
trance OF Argentina meet, for TIL
country must protect itself. We have
had several scourgeS CT this nature,
aud it has cost the country millions OF
dollars.
There is a great deal Of talk about
how free meat in this new tariff mas
are will relieve the stlin3ency. | can
aot foresee that result. Dressed beef
now only carries 10 per cent duty, and
even if meat is free it will have to
cone in under the departments meat
inspection rules, and Argentina-the
greatest source OF supply-at present
1oes not live up to them.
The drought in the middle west
has been most serious. It means that
Mexican cattle and the grass fed cat
lie IRON the southwest that have he: G.
fOlUre been driven to the middle west
4rn 'tattening' corrals will have no
aayen.
THE visible supply in the drought
section is being sod by the thousand
head in Lne open market nov because
3tockmen have no feed and foresee
:amine this winter The immediate re-
suit OF course viii be lowering OF
prlccs because the supply exceeds tie
demand. But later in the season.
when the demand becomes greater and
prices soar the supply promises TO lie
gone"
DR.. Ramsey pointed out that with
excellent crops last year tie mea~ in-
ports for 1912 for the FIRST time IL tho
history OF the country exceeded e2-
ports.
The statistical bureau OF the de-
partment OF agriculture figured that
the outlook for the corn crop vas MT
much better than 80 per cent, as
against more than 50 per cent last
year. On Aug. l, the date when Inc
last official figures were complied, he
corn crop was estimated at 75.5 per
cent. Since then the drought in the
middle west has taken on its most
serious phase and wrought its greatest
damage.
Oats, it is estimated, will not yield
over so per cent. as against SIS pr
cent last year. On Aug. l the percentage
was 1877 per cent, as against 9O.3 per
cent over the corresponding period OF
1912.
During the first five months OF this
year 20 per cent less live stock was
slaughtered than during the first five
months of 1912. This decrease also oc-
erred before the drought, when feed
was plentiful.
Department CT agriculture officials
declared they saw no remedy to pre-
vent the approaching meat famine.
Sheep, hogs and cattle have greatly
decreased in number, and OF this bal
ance, thousands are being rushed to
the market, with nc demand.