The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-06-16
Big SHORTAGE F0RESHADOWS
HIGHER PRICES FOR CATTLE
w. r. Ward, Of the Bureau Of Animal
Industry, Says Dixie is the Section
To Which the United States Must
Look for its Food Supp!y-Must Be-
come Bigger Producer.
Special to The Net1s.

Washington, June 16.-Unless the
South comes to the front and largely
increases its production of beef cattle,
the people of this country need ex-
pect no relief from the high prices OF
beef. This is the force of an article
In the new agricultural year book on
the production of beef In the South, by
w. F. Ward, animal husbandry expert
of the Bureau 70 Animal Industry of
the Department of Agriculture.
Mr.. Wards article is intended to
encourage beef production in the
South. At the same time, he makes
it plain that unless much more beef
is produced there the people of this
country are going to find themselves
from year to year with lessened sup
ply of beef, relative to population,
available for consumption. To make
the situation worse, no relief can be
expected either from the hog or sheep
supply, which also shows a tendency
to diminish in proportion to the num-
ber of consumers.
Sees Greater Beef Shortage.
A greater shortage of beef in 1920
than now is foreshadowed. Mr.. Ward
points out that in the decade from
1900 to 1910 the population of the
United States increased 21 per cent.
At the same time, there was a de-
crease of 1875 per cent in the number
of cattle available for slaughter pur-
poses. A decline of exports of beef
was inevitable, and there was a de-
crease of practically seven pounds of
beef per capita exported because of
the increased home demand.
AS to the prospects Of greater short
age, Mr. Ward says:
"If the population increases in the
! decade 191O-192O in the same ratio as
in the previous decade, and beef cat
| tie do not increase in numbers during
the same period, there must be a
greater shortage Of beef than at the
present time. In fact, since 1910 the
export trade has decreased until dur
ing 1912 there was but one and one
half pounds of beef per capita export
ed from the United States. The
amount of beef exported as live ami
mails and fresh, canned and picked
beef during the year 1912 amounted
to the equivalent of 197,475 head of
cattle, while the number imported was
31S,372, the majority of which came
from Mexico. In other words, this
country has, at least temporarily,
ceased producing as much beef as is
demanded for home consumption, for
the imports for 1912 were over one
and one-half times greater than the
exports"
Worldwide Shortage.
Mr.. Ward points out that there is a
worldwide shortage of beef. and the
question of producing enough to sup
ply the demand is now recognized as
of worldwide Importance. Argentina
has been looked on as a rival of the
United States, but its supply is not as
great as it was in 1908, according to
figures quoted by Mr.. Ward, who does
not see any large supply in any for
eign country available for importation
to the United States.
That higher prices should result
from the decreased production of beef
cattle and the increased home de-
mand, according to this article, was
inevitable.
Coming to the question of meeting
the increased demand, Mr.. Ward sees
no hope of relief unless it be from the
South. He says:
Look To The South.
There is an urgent demand for
more cattle, but where are they to
come from? Not from the corn belt
where the land is worth from SIS to
5000 per acre, and corn has advanced
from 25 to 60 cents or more per bush.
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