The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-10-29
the present beef shortage is
very great none can doubt.
Hogs and sheen are also cor

Hogs and sheep are also cor
respondingly diminishing In num-
bers on the farms of this country.
This situation has taken place dur
ing the past few years in the face
Of constantly rising prices for cat
tie, hogs and sheep on foot. Only
= few years ago beef cattle COM
manded only s and 6 cents pound
and hogs only 4 and s cents
pound, the latter frequently falling
near the Scent line. Lambs then
at certain seasons sold for only
$3.50 apiece.
But why should farmers in gen.
eral abandon beef, hog and sheep
raising when every year they re-
ceived higher prices for them?
There are fewer enthusiastic stock
men today, with beef cattle around
and 10 cents pound, hogs hover
ing close around the 9-cent mark
continually and lambs bringing
about cents on an average for all
seasons of the year. 1t would seem
that with the present better prices
there would be heavy stimulus to
the stock raising business and that
farmers would turn all their efforts
to growing meat animals for the
hungry markets. Such, however, is
not the case.
Meat and Business.
Business generally over the Unit
ed States is good, from reports and
appearances, but business would be
much better IL more meat animals
were grown and marketed. High
priced meats do not mean more
profits to farmers, packers and re-
tailers. Packers make their big
money an big volume of business,
and their volume of business is very
small at present. Stockyards COM
panies likewise are prosperous when
they handle heavy car loads and
train loads of market animals, which
they are not doing at present. Pack
ers, live stock commission firms and
stock yards firms are experiencing
as hard times right now, owing to
eurtailed trading, as farmers in
drought-stricken areas. They have
reduced operations considerably by
cutting down their working forces
and many are ready to abandon
their business for other lines where
trade Is more enterprising.
Live stock yards, live stock com
mission firms and packing firms rep
resent total Of an immense bust
ness capitalization in this country
When these firms are doing larg,
business, money circulates NOR
freely through many hands. Thei
employees number up into the ten
Of thousands when business is good
but when bushes is bad, as it is a
present, a large share of these EN-
ployes are out of employment.
Mutual Prosperity.
OF all the evil things that hav,
been said about packers, their pros
perity and the prosperity Of farm
ers and stockmen is mutual. If th
one succeeds, the other is bound Il
share in the success. They can no
get rich in handling few animals
neither can the farmer Bushes
must be done on large scale t
make profits attractive.
The present scarcity Of meat ami
mails is the cause of almost rnprece
dented prices Of retail meats, a
packers and dealers must ask NOR
for the finished product in order t
remain in business and live. Cor
sumers Of meats and meat anima
products have reduced their pul
chases to the lowest minimum. buy
ing other food substitutes, wit
many being compelled to do witt
out. When meat and lard 60 abov
certain price, large share {
consumers can not afford to bu.
They must eat cheaper and con
moner foods in order to make the
incomes meet all necessary livin
ends. All these things tend to stal
nate general prosperity both In c
ties and in the country.
Good Cattle Scarce.
So scarce are good beef cattl