The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-12-24

'NAtih6 ShddNs Nhdt NQl DC
said for the market for commercial
horses? What prospect is ahead of
the breeder of pure bred drafters in
this country?
In a general way the reply, ac-
cording to the writer's way of think
Ing, Is that the prospects we're never
more favorable, not only for heavy
horses, but for light as we'll. 1t will
perhaps be best to begin with the
commercial end of the business and
work back to the stations, SO the
first point to be considered Is the ex-
listing supply Of desirable horses in
the breeding districts and the demand
likely to exist therefor.
Up to the end of last June COM
mercial horses remained on a high
level and the good ones of full age
were practically all culled out of the
breeding districts.
Indeed, at the end of last June
good horses of full age in all the
market classes were very scarce in
deed. Great inroads had been made
on the crops of 4-year-olds and even
3-year-olds and good feeders were
practically wanting altogether. What
ever good horses have been marketed
since then have come from the small
supply on hand at the date men,
toned, so that the net result must be
that we have fewer really good mar
ket horses in the breeding districts
than w ever had.
Slump Begins.
In July the trade began to waver.
Sometimes 1t has looked as though
Is could not well have been worse,
but later a brighter spot would de-
velop and we would thank our stars
1t was no worse.
Then came the outbreak of war
in Europe, throwing thousands of
men out of work In this country and
generally tying up a lot of trade.
simultaneously arose the prophet who
loudly proclaimed that there could
be no improvement in the horse mar
ket until peace should be declared
and business resume Its normal chan
nels. Close by him stood the I'M
mitigated ass who insisted that we
could not sell horses to any of the
warning powers. "Contraband Of
war;" they sagely remarked, and
figured that some fool story they
had read in the daily papers settled
the whole matter.
Why Wait for Peace?
It is by no means necessarily true
chat vp, ,,,ot txyott 20. pnoon tn no 40
clared in Europe before business
booms again in the United States.
The wisest authorities insist that
what is Europe's poison this trip is
to be our meat and that before an
other six months shall have passed
into history our commerce will be
making gigantic strides towards
levels not heretofore reached.
1t must be remembered also that
prior to June 80 most business firms
had cut their horse stocks down to
tie irreducible minimum. There had
been little business doing in many
lines for months. Imports had been
greatly reduced. The bottom of the
depression had been reached, but
along In July we had commenced to
climb the hill again.
Insofar as those lines of city bust
ness are concerned where horses are
concerned, we are still climbing the
hill-advancing steadily-and all
signs point to a steady demand for
all good commercial grades and
classes Of horses at the normal time.
Trade Receivers.
The writer believes he can see I'M
mistakable signs of this revival. |
do not believe that the outlet for
commercial horses in our cities could
become smaller than 1t was in July
last. | am satisfied that the ire
ducible minimum In the count of
horses able to do city haulage had
been reached and that, with the ad-
vance of business, the demand must
increase also, not by leaps and
bounds, but steadily enough to alb
sorb all good market horses at
prices current last season.
Only in connection with the horse
for urban uses Is there the slightest
gloom. An unlimited order for army
horses has been given by the British
government, and while the inspection
starts off remarkably stiff-stiffest
on record-the fact remains, never
theless, that the order Is bound event
ually to take out of this country any
where from 100000 to 100000 or
more horses which, with the cessa-