Imperial Valley press., 1914-08-14
STOCkYARDS CANNOT
GET ENOUGH CATTLE

| Chicago, Aug. 14.-Recepts at tho
lstockyards here for the last two
! weeks have boen approaching fam
inc basis, according to a statement
issued today by j, Ogden Armour,
president of Armour C Co.
AT the same time Mr.. Armour made
vigorous denials. of a charge thai
packers have made the European war
an excuse to put up prices. During
the last two weeks Armour & Co.
have killed fewer hogs than during
any similar period in the history of
the concern, the statement says.
"Tnc nine Armour plants altogether
killed only 14,736 hogs last week,
against 72,3sS the week before the
war; the statement adds. "They
killed only 1852 cattle last week,
as against 1880 the week before the
war, and only 3O,334 sheep last week,
as against 46,395 the week before the
war"
Mr.. Armour said the shortage of
receipts was due to an actual short
age of livestock, with which the pack
crs have been contending for year,
together with a natural tendency of
the producer to hold back his stock
in hopes of wartime prices.
circumstances of last week, utter
ly beyond the control of anybody, di-
rcctly affected livestock and meat
prices" he said. "The financial situ-
alton everywhere, which fortunately
was :. thing of the past, made it inn
possible for buyers and shippers in
the stock growing sections to send
stock to market.
"Then Washington sent out, and
properly so, official advice to farmers
to hold their crops. While this was
addressed directly to cotton and wheat
growers, it had it's effect upon all
farmer producers. These circumstan-
ccs, added to the livestock shortage,
caused fluctuations which nobody
could control. The conditions are fast
becoming normal and prices soon will
be on a more even basis.
"Our Chicago plant has killing ca
pacity of more than $4,000 hogs a
week. Last week it killed only 1924.
Kansas City has almost the same ca
pacity, and killed only 2012. Our East
st. Louis, Fort Worth and ST. Jo-
scph plants killed, respectively, SOD,
783 and 595 hogs last week.
"These are first hand facts from
cur own business. They are to be par
alleled in that of every other pack
ing company. Only the other day we
were able to fill but third of an
order from one of the nations of wal
because the raw material could not
he obtained.
"Our business men are as patrioti2
as any other element in our popula-
tion and are not looking for chance
to squeeze an extra dollar out of alb
normal conditions. If we all keep cool
and avoid Mysteries we will pull
through this unusual situation to the
satisfaction of everybody"
John T. Russell, president of the
Master Butchers Association, sent a
letter to President Wilson asking him
to forbid the expectation of meat from
this country on the grounds that there
is shortage of the supply and that
a meat famine may result. A meet
ing OF the master butchers to consider
the cause of the waT-time prices will
be held tomorrow.
4 Total livestock receipts last week
here we're the smallest since the strike
at the stockyards in 1904, according
to Arthur G. Leonard, president oi
the Chicago Union, Stockyards, tht
27O4 carloads being less than some
times has been received in a singl,
day.
"The combined receipts at the 81,
principal western livestock markets
for the last month shown even great.
er declines than Chicago" he said
"The receipts were 10000 cattle
277,O0o hogs and $4,000 sheep less
than during the corresponding month
of 1913"