The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-02-12
LIVE STOCK IS
ON the INCREASE
Government Census Shows Nc
Need For Alarm Over Threat
ened' Shortage in Beef

For the first time in many years in
formation collected by the United
States Department Of Agriculture
shows that all classes Of livestock in
the United States are increasing in
numbers. Thus the real facts con
tradict absolutely sensational, reports
that prices for meat and shoes would
rise to unprecedented figures in the i'm
mediate future. 1t has even been said
that o government statistician pre-
dicted meat at 80 cents a pound and
shoes at $40 a pair within the next two
years. Such a prediction, the govern
ment statisticians say, is quite unwar-
ranted.
On January |, for example, the num-
Der of beef cattle showed an increase
Of "a per cent over the number year
ago, and an actual increase of l,2l2,O2O
head. Hitherto the number of beef
cattle in the United States has de-
eliDed steadily since 1910. There are
also more milch cows in the country
than Last year, the increase being 2.5
per cent, or in numbers $4,000. Swine,
however, showed the greatest Increase
of all classes-9.6 per cent On Janu,
airy ], 1914, there were only 1898, 900
swine in the country; on January |,
1918, 64,6lS,000. This is accounted for
by the fact that the production Of
swine can he increased more rapidly
than that of other classes of lvestOck
and consequently an enlarged demand
can be met more readily.
The prediction of 50-cent meat and
$40 shoes was accompanied Ivy the dec,
laration that France alone has taken
from America nearly 100000 horses
within the last five months, and that
the other countries at war have drawn
upon our resources in the same proper,
ton. The facts are that more horses
were on the farms of the United States
on January |, 1915, than there were
year before, the increase being 233,.
600 head or III per cent. SO far from
France alone having taken 3OO,0O0
horses from MS, the total exports since
! the War BEGAN have certainly bee"
much less than 100000 and very likely
not over 75,O0O. Since, there are ap,
proximntcly 100000 horses alto,
| SttntI III lllt OhlItu cIHltS, lnt hIull
on account of the war is scarce y
alarming.
| As for hides. the situation is not
quite so clear, but even here there has
been much gross exaggeration. From
two ffths to less than one.half of tho
| leather used in this country is i'm,
ported. al out 25 per cent of the for
eign hides coming from Argentina, II
Ter cent from Canada, Il per centfrom
Mexico, Sl2 per cent from European
/ Russia and 7IA per cent from France.
| Since the outbreak of the war, i'm.
nortations have shown certain fall
! ing off. those for September, 1914, for
example, Icing only $4,000, 900 pounds
| instead of 45,000,000 pounds the year
| previous, There il, however, little
reason to suppose that this decrease
| will be permanent or of sufficient i'm
! Tortance to create any real scarcity
Since the great bulk of the imported
hides come from countries that are not
at war, shipments are not interfercd
with in any way, and the "nly' new
! factor to he considered is the possi
blitv of an increased demand by the
warning countries.
/ ~ 10 'SbiSNSu, hoNtNtI, lHhb INV
! Irited States is now in better con
I ditiOn TO face speh situation thar
for years past. The tide, it seems, has
turned. Instead of livestock steadily
decreasing year after year THIS yror
for the first time, as has been said
all classes show an appreciate in
crease. Including horses, mules, milrt
cows, beef cattle, sheep and swine
there were on January |, 1918, 77l2,
600 more farm animals in the Unitrc
| States than on January !, 1914. The
increase in the total value was $50,
G24O00, or l.3 per cent. 1t is quito true
that this increase is not vet proror
tioral to the increase in population
which is approximately per cent
hut the fact that there is an ircrrns'
that the tide seems definitely to hay,
turned, is regarded as a sufficient an
swer to alarming exaggeratons an,
misleading figures,