The Hartford republican., 1913-11-28
NO PROSPECT FOR
CHEAPER BEEF NOW
High-Priced Land, Farm Labor
and Cattle Feed
Forbid.

lower, but go even higher, is the
gloomy view taken by Prof. w. j..
Kennedy. director OF agricultural eX-
tension at the Iowa State College.
There will be no return TO what
has been looked upon as normal
price of beefsteak, and Prof. Keen
edy holds out little hope that cheap
beef will ever again prevail in the
United States, where land is high
and farm labor well paid.
1T is really amusing to listen to
and read of the many reasons ad-
vanced for the present high prices
of beef and other meat products. says
Prof. Kennedy. Some people place
al the blame on the farmer, others
blame the packer and still others the
retail butcher.
"a careful study will reveal that
no one of them is really responsible.
The prices are governed by the law
of supply and demand.
For the first time in the history
of modern civilization, our people
are facing what appears to be a near
beef famine. II has been facing us
ever since 1907. Between January |,
1907, and January 1. 1913, our supply
of beef cattle fell off some 1870
900 head, or about 32 per cent. while
our population increased about TO-
000,O people. This would not be
such a serious matter from the con-
sumers standpoint II it applied just
TO the United States. A careful study
of the beef cattle situation in all
beef producing countries clearly in
dicates that there is a worldwide
shortage, as in only two countries,
Australia and France. has beef pro-
duction kept pace with increase in
population since 1890.
Between 1906 and 1912 our ex-
ports of live cattle fell off about SO
per cent and our exports in fresh beef
decreased 81 per cent. Our imports
of live cattle increased from 10000
head in 1906 TO $4,000 in 1912. In
December, 1908, the reserve stock of
amounted to 265,50O,O 900 pounds. and
in 1912 it was estimated at only 35,- |
OOO. 900 pounds.
There is much speculation as to
what effect the new tariff law, which |
has placed meat on the free list, will |
have on the cost and supply of beef !
in this country. 1t may serve tenn
porarily to reduce somewhat the |,
cost of beef, but it will not have |
a permanent influence. Europe is
meat hungry. and thus will bid
against our people for the surplus !
meat of the Argentine, Australia |
and other exporting countries.
Even the most optimistic believ-
ers in free meat figure that at the
very outside not more than 1000 head |
of cattle a week. or 1900, 900 pounds |
of beef. can be expected. This amount
would barely furnish enough for our
annual increase in population.
Beef cattle were grown in former
years on free land or land very low
in value. The present prices Of land. |
feed and labor made ii impossible
to produce cheap beef. The farmer
is not going to produce beef for prices
below what his corn and other erops
are worth in the open ~Arkes. Leg
islaton for preserving sRe calves and
young stock Is not practical and in
my judgment will never work. SEN
tment against the Wholesale slaugh-
ter OF heifer calves and cows Is
bound to come and will he very help
ful.
Neither the packer nor the retail
butcher lis TO blame for conditions.
Look at the price of beef on the
hoof at any stock yards and then
note the selling price OF dressed beef
to the butcher. AS for the retail
butcher, he finds that the great ma
jority of his customers call for
steaks and roasts. and few of them
want the less desirable parts; thus
he must raise the prices on the de-
sirable portions to offset the loss
ON the others
THE best way TO reduce the cost
of LIVING from the beef standpoint
would be TO purchase some Of the
less desirable portions at reasonable
prices and have them prepared and
served in a palatable way. Thus. the
secret OF reducing the cost OF living.
sof ar as beef is concerned. must
I'm a large measure rest with the
housewife.
Beef cattle should be grown on
our farms as a part OF the soil con-
servation plan. TO succeed in this