Milford chronicle., 1913-08-22
COUNTRY FACES
MEAT FAMINE
Federal Officials See no Way
to Keep Up Supply
SAY SITUATION is CRITICAL

Stringent Rules May Dsbar Beef From
Other Naaons-Drousht IN Middle
West Hastsns Crisis.
Not only does the United States face
a famine in its domestic meat supply
but stringent rules covering meat i'm
porati0ns may debar meat ami cattle
from other great meat supplying na-
tions.
The situation is critical, said DR..
ID. a. Ramsey, chief OF the inspection
division Of the bureau Of animal in
dustrr. 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
Inc department of agriculture now
has inspectors in Argentina, Australia
and New Zealand studying conditions
there 50 that We may formulate en-
trance inspection regulations for dress
ed meats and live stock Advices indi-
cate that in Argentina particularly
there are epidemics of the virulent
hoOf and mouth disease and ticks.
These diseases will prevent the en-
trance Of Argentina meat, for this
country must protect itself We have
had several scourges Of this nature,
and it has cost the country millions Of
dollars.
There is a great deal Of talk about
how free meat in this new tariff mas
ure viii relieve the stringency. can
not foresee that result. Dressed beef |
now only carries 10 per cent duty, and |
even il meat is free it will have to |
come in under the departments meat /
inspection rules. and Argentina-the /
greatest source of supply-at present !
docs 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
tie from the southwest that have here
toiore been driven to the middle west
ern 'fattening' corrals will have no
haven
The visible supply in the drought
section is being sold by the thousand
head in the open market now because
stookmen have no feed and fOresee a !
famine this winter The immediate re-
suit of course will be a lowering OF
prices because the supply exceeds the
demand. But later in the season.
when the demand becomes greater and
prices soar the supply promises to be
gone"
DR.. Ramsey pointed out that with
excellent crops last year the meat i'm
ports for 1912 for the first time in the
history OF the country exceeded ex-
ports.
The statistical bureau of the de-
Dartment OF agriculture figured that
The outlook for the corn crop was not =
much better than so per cent. as
against more than S5 per cent last
year On Aug. I, the date when the
asst official figures we're compiled, the
,Orn crop was estimated at 75.5 per
.ent. Since then the drought in the o
middle west has taken on its most s
ierious phase and wrought its greatest v
lamage ?,
Oats, it is estimated, will not yield l.
lyer so per cent. as against 81.5 per
ent last year. On Aug. 1 the percentage ir
vas 1871 per cent. as against 90.3 per h,
ent over the corresponding period OF W
912 y
During the first five months Of this a
ear 20 per cent less live stock was m
than during the first i've "
lonths Of 1912. This decrease also oc-
rred before the drought, when feed Fl
fas plentiful. q
Department of agriculture officials N
eclared they saw no remedy to pre-
ent the approaching meat famine.
heep, hogs and cattle have greatly
ecreased in number, and of this bal
nee, thousands are being rushed to to-
Ie market, with no demand ap