The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-09-25
RESPONSIBILITY
IS PUT UP TO
THE FARMERS
Meat Famine in the United States
In toe Near Future
Probable.

Chicago, Sept. 23-The responsibi
lily OF averting future meat famine
was put up to small farmers today
by speakers at the eighth annual con
yention of the American Meat Pack
ers' convention here today. All agreed
that il the decrease In meat produc
tion Of the last ten years is not stop
ped the question of meat supply for
the people of the United States will
be most serious. Among the remedies
suggested by the packers were:
Every small farmer should raise at
least two steers year to Offset the
decreased production of the great
ranches of the west.
The remaining ranges should be cut
up into farms to put all farmers on
an equal footing
Development of the hills OF New
England with their bountiful springs
and prevailing shade as beef pro
.ducing country.
Substitution of corn for cotton in
the southern states and consequent
development of the cattle and hog
production.
The report of the executive commit.
tee sounded the first note OF danger of
a famine.
Conditions Precarious
The American meat packing house
situation and that Of consumers OF
meatfood products in this country are
both in a condition more precarious
than at any other time in our history
the report stated. I'VE are facing
conditions in the production OF meat
food products which would have been
thought impossible ten yea S ago. The
shortage of livestock, which has been
impressed upon rs as packing house
producers for several years has been
intensified during the last year. Our
population is growing at its normal
rate. W. have passed the point
where demand has overtaken produc
ton, and we are now on basis tlat
shows that demand exceeds the sup.
ply CT meat food products to sucn an
extent that we have abnormally high
prices for meat food products.
+"The farmers are no furn ~ NJ
nearly a sufficient number OF animals
to keep the packing houses in oper-
alton on any thing like full time, and
this results in heavy losses, owing to
lack of volume of business. And there
seems to be no prospect of RELIEF, De
spite the higher prices for livestock
of all kinds, statistics show that the
farmers not only are not increasing
their production of meat food animals
but that such production is decreas-
ing at an appalling rate"
Among other causes for the short
age of meat, the report pointed out,
were the loss of meat food animals,
through preventable diseases and the
unthiuking slaughter of calves, and
especially heifer calves"
The committee appointed To confer
with government officials regarding
pure food laws, in its report challeng-
ed the wisdom of the federal govern
ment debating that ingredients shall
be used in meat products.
Our principal difficulty has been
that those in power know practical.
ly nothing of the actual conditions of
packing house operation. We have
in the hands Of capable, well meaning
scientists on one hand and political
Office holders on the other"
The report declared that the action
of the government in changing the
character Of labels on canned goods,
after they once had been accepted by
the government cost the packing in
dustry $3.50, 900 annually.
Legislation Needed
Speakers at the national convention
OF butter and eggs men urged the
need Of national legislation to-regu-
late the storage of these products in
order to avoid repeated charges OF
price raising and monopoly.
This conference should advocate