The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-12-10
Loss on Cattle.

The farmers of Iowa already have
suffered a loss of more than $23,000,-
900 on their cattle by reason OF the
removal of the tariff duty, according
to an estimate made by James w.
Good, representative in congress from
the Fifth Iowa district.
Congressman Good this week Sc
cured from the bureau of the census
the approximate number of grown
cattle, yearlings and calves now on
the farms of Iowa. In estimating the
loss which has been sustained, Mr..
Good does not count the yearlings or
calves, but only the full grown stuff
which, he said, numbers about $780,
600. The loss per head is estimated
by live stock commission men at
about IS per head; Mr.. Good, to be
conservative, places the loss at $3.50
per head, which makes the total loss
$23,S25,OOO
Mr.. Good says he knows from per-
sonal experience that this loss is &C
tual. Last year he purchased a farm
in Van Buren, county and stocked it
with cattle feeders He was on the
Chicago market the last week in No
vember with two car loads of these
cattle and that's where the congress
man got accurate, first hand knoWl-
edge of what the tariff has done to the
Iowa farmer.
"The loss came straight home to
me as Farmer Good" the congress
man said, "and l know now that farm
ers, irrespective of political beliefs
will, when they come to market their
stuff, condemn the removal of the duty
on cattle
Continuing Representative Good
said:
81 think the reduction of the tariff
duties is being felt more by cattle
men who have been accustomed to
selling grass fed cattle. Many of this
class Of farmers had been led to be-
lieve that the great cattle shortage
in the country would more than Offset
any decline in the price which the re.
duction in the tariff duty otherwise
would bring about. But the removal
of the tariff duty, amounting to $14
head on grown cattle, has operated to
greatly reduce the price of grass fed
the last sixty days an enormous num-
Der of grass fed cattle has come in
from Canada free of duty. This has
forced a reduction in the price of cat
tie all the way from so to 80 cents
per 100 pounds. This decrease, of
course, hits the raiser of cattle. On
the other hand the consumer does not
find that he is receiving the benefit,
for the price of meat over the counter
has remained about the same as when
the farmer received the higher prices
for his cattle.
"The removal of the duty has led
not only to large importations of cat
tie from Canada, but also of dressed
beef from Argentina, and these impOr-
tations have greatly reduced the price
of corn fed animals, as well as the
grass fed stuff. The loss has been
nearer SO per head than $3.50. More
over, this $23.S5O,0O0 does not repre-
sent the whole loss which the cattle
raisers of Iowa have sustained by
reason of the change in the tariff, for
according to information which l OBJ
tanned at the bureau of the census, 80
per cent of the corn crop of Iowa is
fed every year to live stock on Iowa
farms. The decrease in the price of
corn fed cattle means a corresponding
decrease in the pr4ce the farmer re-
ceives for his corn
If Mr.. Edison is not going to work
nights as we'll as days, what in thun-