El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-25
IS
WORTH BILLIONS
President Heard Says Cattle
Industry is the Greatest
National Industry.

Cattle interests in the United states
total II times more than the S500,00o.-
600 loan to the allies. president Dwight
B. Heard. Of the American National
Livestock association. told the con-
vention at the opening of the conven-
tion Tuesday morning at the Texas
Grand theater.
After referring to the fact that this
is the third time in the history OF the
American National Livestock associa-
I ton that its annual convention had
been held in Texas and compIlmentlhS
{ Texas livestock growers upon tbs good
! work they had done, in the matter OF
/ building up the industry GurlnS me
past few years president Heard sald'
Greatest Industry.
when we consider that the livestock
industry is the greatest industry IN
this nation today and that the invest
ments represented in the livestock
business, including the production,
feeding. sIaughtering and marketing OF
| livestock, is in excess Of S1OOO.OoO,OuO,
or II times greater than the recent and
much discussed loan 10 the allies OF
S50o,O00,000. we can wen appreciate
why many of the industrial problems
/ confronting US are directly connected
with the development and growth OF
the industry represented on this floor
today.
Conditions UnsatisfactOry.
dustry, generally, during the past year,
have not been entirely satisfactory.
( While range producers have received
! remunerative prices for their STOCK
yearlings have sold at eNcepuonaliy
good figures and there has been an
unusually strong demand for breeding
cattle, there has been very general dis
content among feeders, particularly
those in the Mississippi valley, VINO
4 have complained of unstable prices and
al al a
places. Many experienced men, who
have given the situation which has de
velOped in the matter Of livestock
marketing. close attention, hold that
the good old law Of supply and demand
apparently has been side tracked.
Shortage of Cattle.
Investigation Of the facts Develops
first, a shortage OF cattle IN America
in proportion 10 our present popula-
ton as compared with that or three
previous years: second. that export
beef products, which had nearly ceased
have revived owing to war conditions,
to such an extent that, according 10
government figures presented at the
recent marketing conference IN Chi
cago, our exports OF beef products for
the first nine months Of 1915 had eX-
ceeded our exports Of beef products
for the same period in 1914, by z56,55l,-
l02 pounds, or the equivalent OF 5SS,
600 head of cattle While the receipts
OF cattle during The period Of 1915 at
the central markets of the country
slightly exceeded those of 1914 for the
same period, the excess receipts were
less than 4 percent and should not
have materially affected the market.
At the same time there was a decrease
Of over 80 percent in imports OF cat
tie during the first nine months OF
1915 as against the corresponding
period OF 1914
Market Weaker.
view Of these conditions would
seem that the beef market of 1915
should have been stronger than it was
in 1914, but the facts are that the
average price for native beef steers
in Chicago for the first 10 months OF
1915 was sS.12 per hundred weight, as
against 1919 per hundred weight for
the corresponding period Of 1914, a de-
crease Of nearly s percent
Team Play Urged.
This abnormal situation should re
ceive careful attention at the hands |
Of the members Of this association, and !
we should have the utmost team play |
between cattle producers on the ranch |
and cattle feeders on the farm and the !
mutual interest of the producer, the |
feeder and the packer that each branch /
OF this stupendous national business /
shall be conducted at a profit If we l
are TO continue as a great meat pro- /
ducing nation
Marketing Problem.
By far the greater portion OF presl- /
dent Heards address was devoted to :
the marketing problem with which the 1
meat producers find themselves con- 1
fronted, and he urged that the mat I
ter be given most careful cOnsidera- {
ton by the delegates TO the convention /
The foot and mouth disease and the /
steps taken by the American National
Livestock association TO combat IL i
We're also discussed at length
Cattle and Sheep Men.
On the question of Public Lands /
and the Grazing Bill" Mr.. Heard said: /
TT is very gratifying to be able to re-
port that there is now a general dis
position on the part Of the chief men
Of the grazing states to cooperate with ]
mite form Of federal control for the
unappropriated unreserved public lands
which Will substitute regulated intelli-
gent use for the present system OF IN
discriminate misuse. This federal con-
troll VIII mean. if carried out along
lines Of good judgment. the elimina-
ton for all time OF the friction which
has so long existed between sheep and I
cattlemen- It Will mean also the en-
cOura cement of better breeding, the
development of additional water sup
ply and the production upon the vast
area Of public grazing lands OF a great