Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1915-12-31
LIVE STOCK RAISING
SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED

(By stephen A. Baird, president of
the Wisconsin Live Stock Breeders
Association.)
''The extent to which the present
live stock scarcity has been oalamitous
has not been half told" says a promi-
nent live stock and market authority.
How does the live stock shortage af
feet crop production? To what extent
does itinf1uence prices? Does the pub
lie understand its bearing on ma
tion's prosperity? The answers to.
these and similar questions largely re-
fleet the Importance of the live stock
industry in the country.
Perhaps the greatest effect of the
present scarcity will be the resulting
decreasing of the crop producing abili
ty of our soils. There can be no ques-
ton that only by converting grains
and forages into meat and milk can
agriculture be made TO pay the high
est returns Due to unstable markets,
/
TO carry on feeding operations many
men who do not ordinarily think of
selling farm grown crops, take advan-
tage of the shorter outlet by directly
marketing them. Every ton of grain
sold from the farm takes with it APP
proximately $3.50 worth of fertility
Meat takes on the average 81 and but
ter fat "A cents. Such drain on our
agricultural resources is bound to af
feet the prosperity of the nation.
The packers have always been charg
ed with controlling the live stock mar
kets of the country. Whesher or not
they deserve this criticism the fact
remains that their great organization
has made it possible for the stockman
to concentrate his crops and market
them at higher price in the greatest
Hive stock centers in the world where
competition between buyers is keen.
Without these great markets the live
stock business as it is today conducted
would not be possible.
| Shortage of live stock has made ex-
pensive space and equipment in the
| large packing houses idle. Forces have
been cut down throwing large num-
Der out of employment and cutting off
their buying power. Meat prices have
been forced up because the American
public demands meat as a part of it's
/ D,,+ 81 s,fI
the public has been deprived of meat
because of it's high price. The COM
bined meat and milk bill of the nation
represents so per cent of the entire
samount paid for provisions.
/ The wholesalers say that hundreds of
small retailers both in the city and 10 |
the country, have been compelled to |
quit business, which results in limited |
distribution and the lowering of real
estate values.
Large commission companies oper-
ating in the big live stock markets
have also been affected. Their bust
ness depends upon the amount of live
stock marketed If sales are slow it
means limited business for them.
I Cattle and sheep feeders in the
country have been forced to suspend
operations because of the great cost
of suitable feeding animals, coupled
with high feed and labor expense, cut
ting the profits out of production.
The railroads of the central west
which carry the bulk of the live stock
to market have had serious cut in
their business. Less men can be en-
ployed, more equipment is idle and
greater economy in all lines is prae
ticed. The railroads reflect quite GER
tainly the farmers prosperity.
These are but a few of the direct
results of live stock scarcity but they
easily show that the industry has
widespread effect uron the affairs of
the nation. Improvement of live stock
and of the conditions for it's prodec-
tion seem to be the only remedy. Bet
ter dairy sires to improve the blood of
the common COW and better care and
attention of the cows to double their
production is necessary. With good
blood and good management, maturity
in meat animals can be obtained in
one third the time at one third the
cost and the product brings higher
prices and is less waSteful The Unit
ed States consumes caily more than
$4,000, 900 worth OF meat and milk, not
TO mention clothing, power and many
other commodities supplied BY live
stock. Any agency tending to inn
prove the methods of an industry
which is so closely concerned with the
daily life of the nation should receive
attention.