Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-08
Opinions and Views
from The Exchanges
The Dwindllng Meat supply.

voted to cattle and sheep raising is
the selling off of much of the young
stock and fastening it to the eastern
markets. This is not due simply to
the shriveling of the forage and the
prospect of scanty crop of corn for
later feeding, but quite as much to
the shortage of water for drinking.
The result is said to be that many
cattle and sheep are sold to be fed
for the slaughter in other districts.
While this may more than keep up
the meat supply while the process is
going on, it will result in shortening
the future supply. This shortening
is not merely the temporary effect
of one dry season. The process has
been going on for some years from
other causes.
According to the latest government
statistics, the number of beef cattle
in the United States diminished in
the six years from the beginning of
1907 from 51,565,000 to 10000, 900. Sheep
declined in the same period from 3d.
24o. 900 to s., 900, hogs increased in
number from 54,794. 900 to 61,17S,0Oo. In
the meantime there has been an in
crease in the population of the coun-
try of about 10000, 900. The decrease
in the native meat supply is similarly
Indicated in the records in the ship
ment of live stock by carloads to the
principal markets for slaughter.
This may sufficiently explain the
advance in the price of meat, espe-
cially of beef and mutton, in re-
cent years. The supply has dimin-
4 l1O m
creased, Among the permanent
causes has been the curtailment of
the great ranges in the West by the
taking up of government lands for
settlement and cultivation in farms
and enclosure of other areas to ex-
clude free pasturage. At the same
time there has been an advance IN
the price of hay and corn, and 1t has
cost more to make beef and mutton.
There has been a dwindllng OF the
former surplus of live food animals
and meat products until 1t mas De
come a relatively small item in our
exports, and there is talk of having
10 import from South America ana
Australia to meet the future demand.
There is one hopeful source of re-
lief from any real privation. 1t is
the general testimony of medical and
other scientific authority that the
people of the highly civilized coun-
tries eat too much meat, that it
would be better for them if they in
dulged more sparingly of that KIND
of nutriment and depended more upon
and fruits, the supply OF
which can be more readily increased:
There is another matter worthy OF
especially in THIS coun.
try. and that is the great amount of
waste that attends the preparation
and consumption of meat. In some
parts of Europe, especially in France,
they have learned the lesson of econ
omv in this respect and of making
the best of what they have.
A Word for Disk Signals.
From the Railway Age Gazette.
The inclosed disk signal furnishes
food for columns of criticism by the
newspapers, and the fact that the
railroad had decided to put in sema-
phores in place of the disks in the
New Haven-Springfield line is taken
as conclusive condemnatory evidence
In Justice to the first-class roads
which have used disks extensively
for twenty years, and with a high
degree of safety. 1t should be said
that these signals have been and are
used on lines traverSed by the fast
est trains in the world, where trains
are not only fast. but frequent. The
last government report showed 3,615
miles of track thus signaled. At
night the question of disk versus
has no weight, as the
light constitutes the signal. The
North Haven collision occurred at z
a. m. in dense fog, and quite likely
the engineman saw the light before
he saw the daylight signal Rail-
roads install semaphores so as to
make the automatic signals uniform
in aspect with the signals at juno
tions. and so as to have a three
position signal, which also is desir
able on account of uniformity and
but the denunciation of the
disk because it is a disk rs based
largely on tradition and sentiment.
The argument that a semaphore is
distinguishable at a greater distance
may be admitted; but that is not
vital issue In the n orth Haven case
the question of visibility at a dis
lance is likely to prove wholly imma-
terial, for nothing could be seen more
than about 300 feet away, on account
of the fog. We pointed out last
March the illogical character of the
Commissions recon-
to abandon disks.
"No God, No Master
Jean di Gregoro in the Independent.
There is an impression abroad that
the Industrial Workers of the World
have avowedly the double purpose of
all masters on earth
and all gods in heaven. This miscon-
ception was vaguely founded on the
assumption that the or
ganization being socialistic must be
actively atheistic, and it was strength
ened by the fact that last year. in a
parade held by the 1. w. w. mill
workers in Lawrence, Mass, a sign
was carried by outsiders with the in
mo God, No Master"
This motto scandalized many people
and caused a great amount of ad-
verse comment. All the reactionaries
seized upon it and identified it with
the labor organization that they OPP
posed so much.
The l. w. w. takes no side in re-
ligious matters; it is neither theistic