The Coconino sun., 1916-12-08

Apparently there are only three ar
ticles in everyday general consump-
ton which have not increased in price
since the great war in Europe began.
They are meat, rice and newspapers.
No doubt there are other articles
which sell today at the same price
they brought in 1914 The Tribune
would be glad to have list of them.
So far as meat is concerned only
the wholesale price charged by the big
packers is referred to. Generally
speaking they have not raised their
rates, though there are few excep-
tons. Retailers may and in some
cases do charge an advance which
does not seem justified by the whole
sale price. But canvass of three or
four representative retail markets
shown that the price the consumer
pays for most meat items is not much
larger than it was year ago,
Big Increase in Exports
The meat situation is the more re-
markable because since the was began
there has been an enormous increase
in the amount of meat products OK
ported to Europe.
In the fiscal year ending June 20,
1914, for instance, the value of the
fresh beef exported was less than
81 100000. This year, for the same
period, the exports of fresh beef were
more than $20,000,000. In other
words, thirty times as much beef has
been sent abroad this year as in 1914.
IN the face of this tremendous expan-
sion the price of most cuts of beef
have not been increased to the con-
sumner.
Beef Situation Alarming
Yet it would be worse than idle to
jump to the conclusion that so far as
the supply of beef is concerned the
United States is in a good condition.
1t is exactly in the matter of beef
cattle that the situation is most
alarming. In the last six years, as
revealed by the official figures, the
number of beef cattle in the country
has decreased by nearly 100000.
There are even half a million fewer
mich cows than in 1915
With an addition of millions to the
consuming population--plus the vast
export demand-we have less than
five-sixths as many cattle to supply
the beef for their consumption.
How, then, can the big packers, who
are not generally accused of altru-
ism, afford to sell their beef at the
same price which prevailed last year :?
Big Market for Meat
One must go back to the great war
in Europe to find the explanation. In
the first place, the packers have a
market for an enormously increased
amount Of meat products to fill their
orders from the warning nations of
Europe. They can, therefore, afford
to pay good prices for all the cattle
they are offered.
In the second place, the war and
other influences have sent the price
of corn up to more than 81 bushel.
The average farmer who has crop
of corn which he would ordinarily use
to fatten cattle and hogs does not feel
that he can afford to feed 81 corn and
take chances of getting a correspond
ing profit out of his live stock next
spring.
The result is that he is sending in
almost everything which can stand up
on four legs to be sold at the stock
yards.
Receipts on Increase
Up to Nov. 15 of last year the total
receipts of cattle at the seven great
primary markets in the United States
Chicago, Kansas City, Omaha, St
Joseph, st. Louis, Sioux City, and St
Paul--were 6,939,OO0 head. In 1916
up to Nov. Is the receipts at the same
points were more than 100000 head
Last year cattle were being killed
more rapidly than they were raised
This year the situation is vastly
worse. Thin and undeveloped steers
are coming in to be sacrificed by the
hundreds of thousands. Every such
animal, sold and killed, perhaps fol-
canning, means one less prime beet
steer ready for market next spring
And the food which is draining the
beef supply of the country continues
to increase. At the stockyards in
Chicago alone $4,000 head Of cattle
were received the first three days OF
last week. 1t was the largest number
for three days period in five years
The receipts for October were 332,33s
cattle, the biggest since 1909. Last
year for the same month only ZOE, 375
came into the Chicago yards.
What Can Be Done?
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