Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-18
Higher Prices Deemed Normal.

and to the housekeeper. figures tend to
show that there is no rise in price es-
pecially unusual Of late. other than the
natural rise in price due to the increase
in the population of the world and the in
ability of the cattle raisers to keep up
the pace" There Is no mystery about
such rise in the price Of meat, especially
beef. as has taken place recently. au-
thorities say. The figures show that II
would seem entirely due to the falling
off in the number Of cattle received for
slaughter at the markets. The real cause
of the advance of price seems to be the
normal one Of falling off in supply with
out a corresponding decrease in demand.
prices paid for beef cattle per hundred
pounds at Chicago during the last four or
five years:
In 1910 the average June p1ce paid for
beef cattle per hundredweight at Chicago
was $3.50: in July, $4.S4. and in October
Of the same year the price dropped to
$4.64. In 1911 the June price was $4.f3.
in July $4.28 and in October 1892 In
1912 the June price was 1923, in July
$5.H and in October $685.. In 1913 the
June price was $500. in July of last year
$5.9S and in October $685.
Price Increase Not Large.
The June prices this year have been
1922, and this months prices are even
higher. The recent increase is only about
35 cents a hundredweight for beef on the
hoof and less than three-quarters Of a
cent pound for the meat at wholesale.
Despite the fact that the fall prices of
meat last year did not take the usual
drop which has characterized the prices
Of beef in recent years. officials of the
bureau say. it is not to be too freely i'm
agined that the usual drop in prices will
not follow this year.
Many things point to the usual drop
this fall, instead of prices getting high
err. The very fact of high prices will
tend to stimulate the raising of food ami
production will be assisted this year by
one Of the largest corn crops in the his
tory of the country.
The influx Of Argentine beef cannot fail
to help the situation in this country,
many who are conversant with the situa-
ton aver. The shipments Of beef to the
United States have grown tremendously
in the past few months. A year ago they
totaled about 100000 pounds year: to-
day Argentine beef is coming into this
a month, according to officials of the
bureau of animal industry of the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
All these considerations lead many to
believe that this fall the price OF beef
will take its accustomed drop.
Uruguay as Beer producer.
Uruguay, following the lead of Argen-
tina. is developing as cattle country,
according to a statement made by the
Pan-American Union. Beef from Argen-
tina has been coming into the United
States for some time now. and 1t Is hoped
that Uruguay will also develop a new
source of supply The Pan-American
Ia
Something over a hundred years ago
the hacendados ranchmen) of Uruguay
complained to the government that over
45O, 600 head Of cattle were being killed
annually for their hides alone. The car
cases were thrown to the dogs. or left
devour Beef in Uruguay was SO plenti-
full that it was something Of nuisance
evidently OF course. that day has pass
ed, but they still have cattle enough
down there to convert some !Oo.oO head
into 1900, 600 pounds Of jerked beef in
one year, most Of which Is sold to Bra
zil. Cuba, Porto Rico and other tropi-
cal countries Think Of the juicy tender
loins Of 100000 head Of cattle going into
jerked beef!
Again, there are many thousands Of
Uruguayan cattle annually converted into
extract of beef. Perhaps but few people
know that the first great factory for the
production of beef extract known to the
world was established at Fray Bentos. a
little city on the Uruguay river about 100
miles above Buenos Aires, the cosmopon-
tan capital of Argentina, and that it is
still doing business at the same old
stand although the stand has grown
enormously larger since the time it be-
came the pioneer in the beef tea industry.
The worldwide reputation Of this concern
is perhaps largely due to the high grade
Of the cattle Of Uruguay, as well as to
the clearly and scientific manner Of the
preparation of the product.
Greatest Kitchen in World.
Fray Bentos has been called the
greatest kitchen in the world. On some
days $500 head Of cattle are slaugh-