Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-10-21

appreciate very rluCn tHe compliment
airy words spoken by your toastmaster
but fear shall not prove equal to the
estimate he has so kindly given to my
| capabilities.
It Is a long trip from Chicago to
Boise to judge the beef cattle at your
fair and / probably would not have
made the trip were 1t not for the ur-
gent solicitation of your secretary and
the fact that l was anxious to become
more familiar with the resources OF
your state,
This Is my first visit TO Boise.
have had a wholesome respect for the
sheep industry OF this state because OF
the quality of lambs and the size of the
shipments that have been coming to
Chicago market from Idaho. l also re-
member very wildly the excellent re-
suits we had in our first experience
feeding carload Of Idaho lambs when
was a boy on q farm.
I have been very favorably impress
sed with the quality of the livestock
exhibits at this fair. There were a
number of cattle shown here that will
be leading prize winners at the Inter
1 II.
I refer in particular to the short horn
exhibit of Mr.. Townley, who hope will
decide to exhibit some of his cattle at
the Chicago show this year. The live
stock exhibit as a whole is a most
credible one, specially for your first
official state fair. l was also greatly
impressed with your exhibit of vege-
tables and fruits in the agricultural
hall. This Is very convincing evil
dence that you have good soil and
grow immense crops under irrigation.
You are very fortunate here in Idaho
to have as secretary of your fair, a
man of the ability and experience of
Mr.. Henderson,. l was for several
years in charge OF the department of
animal husbandry of the University
of Nebraska, during which period Mr..
Henderson, was a member of the board
of managers and later became presi-
dent OF the Nebraska state fair. The
Nebraska fair has a remarkable growth
and development during those years
and Mr.. Henderson, Is entitled to
large part Of the credit / can recall
no one fuller OF enthusiasm for this
kind of work. He seems to be now the
same sort of steam engine for work
that he was when I knew him several
years ago. His successful experience
as a breeder of livestock should be a
distinct advantage in the solicitation
of livestock exhibits for this fair and
the building up Of an exposition in
keeping with tho resources of your
state.
THE NEED OF MEAT.
am to talk to you this evening up
on the livestock situation in the Unit
ed States. This Is such large sub
ject will only attempt to discuss GER
tain phases of the question which
hope WILL be of interest to you. Our
winning this war will depend quite as
much upon the ability of our farmers
and stock men to produce food for our
soldiers as the actual fighting at the
front. No article OF food is more
needed than meat. not only for our
own soldiers but for those Of our al
lies, and as we have had a shortage in
these products for a number of years,
the farmers in q great livestock state
like Idaho have a large responsibility
in their efforts to increase production.
We are confronted at this time with
animal products. The best cattle have
been selling at the Chicago market for
as high as Is cents per pound with
sheep and hogs correspondingly high.
1t would seem that the opportunities
for engaging in this industry were
never better though the margin of
profits are not as large as those I'M
informed would seem to believe, owing
to the excessive cost OF feed. under
stand that hay in Idaho is selling for
prices ranging from SIS to $40 per ton
and that many breeding cattle are like
ly to be sold because of the expense In
them. This is unfortunate
at this particular time and hope these
reports have been exaggerated. While
1t Is unreasonable to expect these high
prices on livestock to continue in
definitely there Is reason to believe
that high level will be maintained
for number of years even though
peace should be declared in the very
near future. We have authentic infor- |
nation to the effect that the cattle of |
Europe have been reduced in number |
approximately 100000 since the war
begun. Hogs in Europe have been re-
duced in number 100000 and sheep !
"a ,000,0 900. The breeding herds have
been completely annihilated in certain |
sections of Europe where the fighting
mas been most severe. There is GER
tain to be a great demand for breed
ing stock of all kinds from this coun-
Try with which to rehabilltate herds
Of Europe and we must be prepared
Tor this demand.
CAUSE OF HIGH PRICES.
Present high prices in the United
States were not caused by the war
alone. The shortage in tbs country
and increasing prices begun several
years before the war, and this great
conflict is not entirely responsible for
he present situation though 1t has
made 1t more acute.
The diminished livestock production
With which we are confronted at the
present time, is, in my opinion, no
serious fault on the part OF tho pro-
iucer. I believe the situation which
,onfronts us today is a matter of cir
'umstance which could hardly be con-
Cd h1r he