The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-09-26
MEAT Nj ! DELI J ||| Al0|
RISING. MEAT IA ! PRICES
Butchers Convention Calls On
Congress to Conserve .
: Natural * souroes. . +.

The butchers and meat dealers OF
the United States should have some
practical knowledge OF how the ever.
rising cost Of meat might be checked.
It Is consequently interesting to note
the demand made In a conference
at Chicago, on August s, ! Of the
United Master Butchers !, association
! OF the United States, and the National
Retail Butchers, and Meat Dealers,
Protective association. The demand
was that congress set aside. ten per
cent OF the national income tax to
be used for improving cut-over and
other undeveloped lands, on condition
said lands be used for livestock rails
ing purposes, that the government
have the right to condemn any lands
for this purpose ,.~..-r' 49,. =.
It is clear that the butchers see
that the root of the trouble is in
dearth of land open to use for stock
raising purposes There they are
right. But the remedy suggested is
more open to criticism. The butchers
fail to take into consideration why
the lands that they want to use for
stock raising are not so used now.
They seem :. to think that existing
high prices do not constitute suffici-
ent inducement and so suggest gov
eminent aid; -. q. -
Twenty and thirty years ago when
prices were much lower, there was
no scarcity of men willing to- go
into: the business of stock raising on
large scale without help from the
government. That. was because they
could get use of the land needed
without paying, a. prohibitive price.
But now, though there is as much
land in the country as there eyer was,
land prices have been pushed 80
high that even with market quota
tons on live stock as high as they
are. stock raising is being checked.
To use public funds to improve
these lands will not solve the pro-
blem. If the land owners are to be
left free to initiate land prices with
imranity. The very fact that public
funds, are to be used will assuredly
cause land values to go. up proper
tionately. The stock raisers will find
themselves compelled to pay in in
creased prices for land whatever they
may save through government: aid
The final result will be the same
The suggestion to condemn land. (pre-
sumably. to- be sold to- stock raisers),
is also open to objection. Conditions
would remain which now make it
more profitable to hold land out Of
use than to let it :be used for stock
raising: ~: =
What the butchers should have
asked is that the evil be attacked at
it's root. The withholding. from use
Of land fitted for stock raising should
be made an expensive luxury. They
should: have asked instead OF govern
ment aid for stock raising unfaxinE
Of the *stock raisers industr and en-
terprises They should have asked
abolition Of all taxes on elive stock,
on fences, barns, and other improve
sments needed in stock; raising. Then
they should not have forgotten that
other industries might be entitled to
similar. exemptions and: so made a.
general demand for abolition Of all
taxes on labor and its products.
They should then have asked that all
taxes taken off Of labor be, put on
land values. so that those holding
land out Of use needed for stock rails
Ing, would find it to their advantage
to either start to raise stock on it, OF
to get out Of the road and let some
one else do So That would solve *he
problem in short order. Still the
butchers have made good begin
ming as It, Is in calling attention to
the holding of undeveloped lands az
the =. fundamental cause.-American
Ecnnnrnic