Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-10-25
WHY BEEF IS HIGH

w. j. Kennedy, director OF agricut
ture extension at Iowa state college. IN
discussing the high cost Of beef said:
In my Judgment the days of cheap
beef for the American consumer are
thing Of the past. Beef cattle were
grown in former days on free land or
land very low in value in comparison
to present day land values. The
present prices Of land, feed and labor
make 1t absolutely impossible to pro-
duce cheap beef. The farmer Is not
to blame for this as he cannot AFFORD
to, and what is more, he is not going
to produce beef for prices below what
his corn and other crops are worth IN
the open market. A. great deal has
been said about the packer robbing the
people. At the present time he is com
PEELED to utilize every by.product OF the
animal to come out even In the busl-
ness. For instance, take as an Illus
tration the Chicago quotations.; for the
week ending October 4. 1913, on beef
cattle on foot and fresh beef on the
hooks Prime steers, cost the packer
at least 8 cents on the hoof or a 1920
pound steer cost sos. Such a steer
would dress out about 720 pounds OF
beef. This beef was sold. by the
carcass for 1876 cents or 1920 to the
retailer Thus the packer had to get
$1,000 Of the purchase price OF the
steer from the hide and ofaI before he
had his original investment back. His
labor interest on investment, risk
through loss and profits had to all
come out, OF what the country butcher
discards as waste in his business. In
addition to this the packer after paying
for the cattle on foot must submit the
CARCASS to most rigid health inspec.
ton. It often happens that portion
Of an animal or perhaps the entire
animal 10 condemned and sent to the
rendering tank, thus almost total
loss to the packer.
What about the retail butcher? He
has to buy the entire carcass, thus
must Sell 1t and out OF the proceeds
pay His rent, labor, city delivery Of the
maat, stand the loss from bad accounts
ana make a living He finds that the
great majority OF his customers call for
Kteaks and roasts and but few OF them
want the less desirable parts, thus he
must raise the price on the desirable
portions to Offset the loss on the less
desirable parts because he must buy the
90ClT0 CARCASS. ne D00L way W IC'
duce the cost of living from the beef
standpoint is to purchase some OF the
less desirable portions at reasonable
prices and have them prepared and
served in palatable way. Thus in the
last analysis the secret Of reducing the
cost of living, so far as beef Is con-
cerned, must in large measure rest
with the housewife.
Legislation, for the purpose OF pre-
serving the calves and young stock Is
not practical and in my Judgment will
never work. Sentiment against the
wholesale slaughter Of heifer calves
and COWS Is bound to come and will be
very helpful in saving the future sup
ply of beef cattle.
Beef cattle should be grown on our
farms as part of our soil conserve
ton plan To succeed in this work
we must put more land under grass
and through the use of the sifo util-
ize more Of our corn stalks, millions Of
acres Of which are annually wasted,
and grow some alfalfa on every farm.
Then and then alone will we be in
position to proftably get back into the
business Of raising beef cattle and
furnishing American beef for our
American people.