West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-03-11
MORE LIVE STOCK
NOW THAN YEAR AGO
Government Statistics Contradict
Report that Prices Will Reach
Unprecedented Figures - First
Time in Many Years Figures
Show Increase


shows that all classes of live stock I'm
the United States are increasing In
numbers. Thus the real facts contra
dict, absolutely. sensational reports
that prices for meat and snoes would
rise To unprecedented figures I'm the
immediate future. IL has even been
said that government statistician
predicted meat at 80 cents a pound
and shoes ut $40 pair within the
next two years. Such prediction
the real government statisticians say.
is quite unwarrantod.
On January l, for example, the num-
Der OF beef cattle showed an increase
OF "a per cent over the number n
year ago. and an actual increase OF
l'2l3,OOO head. Hitherto the number
OF beef cattle in the United States has
declined steadily since 1910. There
are also more milch cows in the coun-
try than last year, the Increase being
20 per cent, or In numbers $4,000.
Swine. however. showed the greatest
Increase OF all classes-9.G per cent.
On January /, 1914, there were only
5S.933,000 swine I'm the country: ON
January l, 1915, 64,61S,000. This ~ nc
counted for by the fact that the pro-
duction of swiie can be increased
more rapidly than that of other
classes OF live stock and consequently
an enlarged demand can be met more
eadily.
The prediction of 30 cent meat and
SlO shoes was accompanied by the
declaration that France alone has
taken from America nearly 300 900
horses within the last five months and
that the other countries at war have
drawn upon our resources i'm the same
proportion. The facts are that more
horses were on the farms OF the Uni
ted States on January j, 1915, than
there were year before the increase
being $4,000 head, or IL DR. cent.
So far from France alone having TAX
en- 100000 horses from us, the total
exports since the war began have GER
tainly been much less than 100. 900
and very likely not over $4,000. Since
there are approximately $4,000, 900
horses altogether I'm the United States.
the drain on account of the war is
scarcely alarming.
IL is, In fact, pointed out by govern
ment statisticians that the market
value OF farm horses has actually de-
clined to such an extent that the aver
age Is now about So a head less than
year ago. This decline lis most no
ticeable i'm the cotton states and I'm
those states which make business of
breeding horses for sale in other sec
tions. Mules have declined even
more than horses, their value being
now $l1.50 per head less than n year
ago. The explanation Is to be found i'm
the depression on account of the cotton
situation in the South, which is the
great market for mules. An improve
ment in this respect will do much to
restore the demand for horses, so that
government specialists, while ridicul-
ing the notion OF horse famine. are
convinced that farmers will find il
profitable to use good work mares for
breeding more stock.
AS for hides, the situation is not
quite so clear. but even here there has
been gross exaggeration. From two
hfths 70 less than one-haIf of the
leather used in this country Is import
ed. about 25 per cent Of the foreign
hides coming from Argentina. Is per
cent from Canada, II per cent from
Mexico, SIX per cent from European
Russia, and 7h per cent from France.
Since the outbreak of the war impor-
tations have shown certain falling
on those for September, 1914, for ex-
ample, being only $4,000, 900 pounds.
instead Of $4,000 900 pounds the year
previous. There is however, little rea
son TO suppose that this decrease will
be permanent or OF sufficient import
ance to create any real scarcity.
Since the great bulk OF the imported
hides comes from c,untries that Z
not at war, shipments are not inter
| 1880 WIN III any way ana Ine only
new factor TO be considered is the
possibility Of an increased demand by
the warning countries.
II is believed, however. that the Uni.
ted States is now in a better condl.
ton to face such a situation than for
years past The tide. IL seems has
turned. Instead Of live stock steadily
decreasing year after year, this year
for the FIRST time. as has been said.
all asses show an appreciable IN
crease. Including horses. mules.
; | milch cows. beef cattle. sheep and
, swine. there we're on January /. 1915.
b 15l2.0oO moro farm animals in tho
y United states than on January I 1914
r The increase in the total value was
b $7S.O24.0O or 1.3 per cent. II is quite
true that this increase is not yet pro-
! portional 20 the increase in population
which Is approximately 2 per cent 4.
but the fact that there is an increase.
that the tide seems definitely to have
turned, is regarded as a sufficient an
swer to alarming exaggerations and
misleading figures.
k