The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-09
Beefsteak Is Soon to Be
a Rare Table DeIicacv
Live Stock Men, Despite the Present Prohbipe Price
OF Beef Predict That the Rate Is to Go Higher
and Higher.

/. chicago. ILL.,, Aug. sits good-by {
beefsteak as a national dish.
Good cattle are bringing SO a hundred
weight on the hoof That IL everyda,
market history that he who runs ma,
read.
Cattle on the hoof will be selling 70
81 before August has passed. Befor
Christmas S2 will be paid for them, bu
the real scarcity will not be felt unit
1915. That is a prophecy uttered by lIv,
| stock commission men here and in othe
! Western market centers.
! For every additional cent a pound paIt
for beef cattle on the hoof the retail
| price for dressed beef advances from
to cents, according TO cut and quality
With live hogs on q Scent basis and bet
! ter, the consumer will find no comfort
in turning to pork ribs. bacon. or ham
Calves already are on a 81 plane and
| going up. Veal is, Of course. forbidden
to all but the few who do not hagEle over
prices.
Mutton and veal stew? In that quarter
lies temporary hope. but the fiocks OF
| sheep are not what they used to he,
human population considered in the
reckoning.
One Word of cheer.
From Washington the Department OF
Agriculture flashes the one word of cheer
1t forecasts a condition OF relief for the
consumer next year in a replenlshed sup
ply OF cattle at home. Commission men
here say the department experts are
wrong. Packers would like to believe the
prediction is well founded but they don't.
Cattle men in the West and Northwest.
doing some forecasting on their own &C.
count say the Washington prophets will
be COMPOUNDED by unwelcome facts
Beef for the table in this country never
will be materially cheaper than II is to-
day. and il is likely to be more costly by
far II the preponderance Of Western ex-
pert judgment is reliable. There is cumu-
lative evidence that the day Of the beef
steak is fast passing.
Farmers in this Middle Western country
have more money. more comforts, more
they ever had before. but they are cut
use. They are using it less and less as
a chef d'ouvre for dinner and supper
dinner at noon and supper at g.
Because meat animals are decreasing in
this country the character Of the great
Chicago packing plants is changing in
way that would astonish the visitor who
has not seen them for ten years. The
packers are turning to the preservation
OF fruits and the manufacture OF fruit
pTOuuCls- Al INC NAluH ono may no"
spend hours inspectiong samples OF jel-
lies. jams. marmalades. preserves. grape
juice and dozens OF other attractive COM
nlodities that bear not the slightest re-
alton to cattle or TO dressed meats
This metamorphosis is likely to continue
until Chicago loses its old soubriquet OF
the pig sticking town" and becomes
Known to the world as the marmalade
city.
Conducted at u Loss.
Chicago packers declared that their
meat business is being conducted today |
AZ a loss and that they operate their |
plants because the overhead charges |
being heavy, the loss caused by idleness |
would be so much greater. This state 4,
nent may be taken with a grain OF salt, /
out the extensive turning to new lines |
II endeavor would seem TO indicate that !
he millions OF surplus are not piling |
Ip as they did in the old days for the
neat barons.
1t is generally agreed that the new
arifr law. which admits dressed meats
rec OF duty has brought little relief to
he consumer unless IL be in New York
md adjacent cities, where Argentine beef
s available. New York may be paying
IS much as ever for its beef but opinion
,ut here is that II II did not have the
argentine product as a part OF Its sup
'ly beef prices in the metropolis would
'e still higher than they are. On the
anne line of reasoning II would follow
hat with New York and the East not
rawing so heavily on Western American
upplies, some benefit is reflected back TO
he consumer in this part Of the coun-
ry This help is so small. however,
hat II is scarcely appreciable.
Canada is to date OF little aid to the
onsumer on this side OF the line. The
Underwood tariff act has not stimulated
eef or cattle imports from that quar-
er. The reason for its failure TO do
o is said to be that Toronto and Mon
real are scurrying into the back coun-
~ Of the provinces to obtain enough ,
aw material to supply the home mar
cts with dressed product. Commission =:
len in Chicago have ceased to direct
heir efforts toward Canada. In fact some
inds OF cattle bring more in the Toronto
he stock markets than they would be .
orth to Chicago or Buffalo. Northwest l.
anada is too deeply engrossed in wheat
aising to give attention TO cattle. and .
lus aid in building up the supply OF .
nimals on the hoof for the killers OF .
lis country.
A NeEIIbIe Factor. :
Mexico is a negligible factor. due to the ?
act that the war has demoralized bust Q
ess and decimated the cattle herds. 1t g
I'll take years TO re-establish the live a
ock industry in the republic to the south
n a basis that would be Of material in o
rest to the United States. y
Even the Argentine. according 70 rep b
,sentatives of local packers, has
OOo, 90 fewer cattle than II had four b
FIVE years ago. Mr.. Arthur Meeker. C
le leading figure in the business Of t
AND SCHOOLS d