El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-12-01
\ TOCKXARDS chicago. Dec.

states This country Is the chief
meat producer Of the world, and Just
now, when all nations are fighting,
it becomes most important as one Of
the greatest centers OF the food sup
ply.
Let US look at all the assets Of the
nations and take account OF the stock
now on hand. I have before me re-
ports from the department OF agricuI-
ture. giving the latest statistics Of
cattle, hogs and sheep for all PARTS
Of the world They show that we
have now on our farms 61,0O0.000 cat
re, 6e'o90.ooO hogs and 100000
sheep These alone are more than
double the stock OF Germany and
Austria Hungary. You might add the
animals from Bulgaria and Turkey.
and the whole would not equal those
OF our country.
In addition, our allies in Europe
have vast numbers Of domestic ami
mails At the beginning OF the war
Russia had two and one-half times
as many cattle as Germany. The
number was 52.O00,000. and at the
same time II had about l3,0O0.00
sheep. 1t ranks as the fourth sheep
country OF the world. its only supe-
riors being the United States, with
100000, and Argentina and Austria
liza. each OF which has more than
Australia with the allies. although
the meat has to be brought about
1900 miles in getting to Europe, and
the same Is true Of Canada, which has
something like 100000 or 1900. 600
farm animals 70 aid in filling the
Btomachs OF the soldiers in France
At the beginning Of the war Ger
many had 10000, 600 cattle. j.. 900, 600
hogs and 100000 sheep, and Austria
Hungary had only from cne-third 10
= n p
France, Great Britain and Russia had
81 home and in their colonies about
100000 cattle, 2S 100000 hogs and
2o2,0o0,00O sheep.
Uncle sam chief stock Raiser.
But among these great stock raisers
OF the world Uncle sam stands alone.
He is the JOB Of the Goth century. and,
Ike the man in the land Of U, his
substance makes him the greatest
Of all the men in the east" He is the
chief cattle raiser and owner among
the nations Last year his livestock
was estimated at q value Of $3.50, 00O,-
600, or more than S33 per head OF our
population This referred only to the
stock on the farms and ranges, and
outside Of that there was an addi-
uonal value fcattle, sheep and hogs.
which amounted TO over 50 per family
The wholesale packing houses and
slaughterlng esta blishments and the
farms UPON which the animals are
Of millions. and il is estimated that
Uncle Sans whole meat producing
plant is worth in the neighborhood OF
16,oOO,OooO0O OF dollars or enough TO
give every American family $500
worth Of stock in the company This
does not include the receipts from
transportation or the retail trade.
The numbers Of cattle. sheep and
hogs raised here are SO great that If
they were divided equally every fam
q
and three hogs and there would be
many thousand little pigs and lambs
20 spare
L. S. Greatest Meat Consumer.
As a consumer Of meat the United
States also stands at the head OF the
list. There are many countries where
almost no meat is eaten, and IL is said
that over half the worlds population
lives upon food other than meat The
nations which have q surplus Of meat
Tor export are all meat eating coun-
tries. and they are comparatively few
IN number. In fact, the worlds eX-
port trade in meat products is main
tanned by only nine nations. 1t is
from the United states, Argentina,
Australia Canada, Denmark. Mexico,
New Zealand. Uruguay and Russia
that the worlds supply OF meat is OBJ
tained. The entire production IS es-
timated Al about 50 billion pounds per
year, and this Is consumed by the
people OF comparatively few coun-
tries II Is divided among a popula-
ton OF about five hundred millions,
and the average consumption per
capita is just over 90 pounds Of beef,
mutton and pork in one year.
We Americans are the biggest meat
eaters on the globe. with perhaps the
exception OF the Australians or Abe
New Lealanoers- We consume 80
percent more meat than Great Britain
or Germany. and twice as much as
the people Of France In 1900 We
were each eating on the average ISL
pounds Of meat per year. and al
though this has since somewhat de-
creased on account Of the high prices. /
we still consume more than rs
pounds o. beef, pork and mutton for I
every man woman and child in the
country The last census has esti-
mated that over Is billion pounds OF
meat and meat products we're con-
sumed here in 1909, while less than Z
one half that amount represents the I
consumption IN Germany for the year ]
1918 ?
supplying the Great Demand
But let us see how this vast de-
mand is supplied and how the thou
sands Of animals are killed and made .
ready for the markets at home ana 3
for shipment to our army in France /
During my stay here in Chicago 1 /
have spent much time in the stock
pens and packing Establishments +
watching the Journey Of the steer as .
the farms until il goes out IN the .
hundred and more shapes IN which IL
Is sold in our markets
Chicago is the heart Of the live
stock and packing industry OF the
United States Il is to meat what
Akron is TO rubber. and what De-
troft is to the automobile It leads
an other stockyards Of the United 7
States. and its receipts are more than I
double those OF the Omaha stock
yards, which stand next in impor-
lance. Its combined receipts for al 4
kinds OF cattle amounted last year 10
nearly 100000. while Omaha had
less than 5000, 900 and Kansas City Z
onIv a little more than 100000 II
handled three times as many animals
as St. Louis. and more than four times
the number that passed through the
gtoclzyards at St Paul
The total number Of cattle which
we're turned into beef at the "A chief
markets OF the United States
amounted to nearly 62.O0O.000 The
average length Of a steer is about
ten feet. and II all Of the cattle
banded last year could be placed nose
TO tail they would form a single file
half way to the moon. At five
abreast they would reach almost
around the world. and the cattle from
these Chicago stoczyards alone would
~ from here 70 the CAMPS Of our boys
on the battlefields Of France.
In a City Of Animals
But come with me and take . look
at this city Of animals. It covers a
square mile OF as much ground as a
$40 acre farm We first walk through
the stockvards themselves The air is