The Colorado statesman., 1917-09-22
Milk and Butter Supplies De-
crease in United States While
Population Increases.
WASTES MUST Be STOPPED
Our Allies Are Short Large Quantities,
'and the Burden of Repenshment
Must Fall on North
America.

Inc 1000 administration has issued
the following statement on dairy con-
ditions:
Milk and butter supplies are de-
creasing in the United States, while
our population is increasing. The
dairy herds of Europe are diminish
ing rapidly because of the conditions
created by war, and there is no prob
ability of improvement in these condi-
tions. The dairy problem in this coun-
try, therefore, is not only war emer-
gency problem, but one that will con-
tinue years after the war.
The worlds dairy supplies are de-
creasing rapidly for two important
reasons. First, the dairy cattle of Eu-
rope are diminishing, for Europe is be-
ing driven to eat its cattle for meat;
second, the diversion of labor to war
has decreased the fodder supplies, and
the shortage of shipping has limited
the amount of imported fodder, and
therefore the cattle which can be sup
ported and the productivity of the indi-
yidual COW have been reduced. Even
our own dairy supplies are not keeping
pace with our growth of population,
for our per capita milk supply has
fallen from 90 to rs gallons annually,
in the past 10 years. Yet, today we
must ship increasing amounts of dairy
products to our allies.
Diverted to Germany.
The dairy supplies of the allies in
normal times come to a considerable
degree from western Scandinavia, Hol-
land and Switzerland, but under Ger
man pressure these supplies are now
partly diverted in Germany. The men
under arms ard the wounded must be
supplied with condensed milk in large
quantities. The net result of these
conditions, despite rigorous reduction
of consumption among the adults of
the civil population in Europe, is that
our allies are still short of large guam
titles and again the burden of the re-
placement of this shortage must fall
on North America. The growing eX-
ports of dairy products from the United
States to the allies are shown in the
following table:
Three year Year ending
pre-war average. June 30, 1916.
Butter ........ 4,457, 600 lbs. 13,4S7, 900 lbs
Cheese ........ 3,7SOO0o lbs. 4,394,OO0 lbs
Condensed
milk ...... II, 1872 900 lbs. 1885, 900 lbs
The high price of fodder and meat
in the United States during the past
few months, induced by the pressing
European demand, has set up danger
Gus currents in this country, especially
in those regions dependent upon but
ter and the sale of milk to municipali-
ties, having made it more profitable
to sell the cattle for meat than TO
keep them and produce dairy products.
Therefore, the dairy cattle are decreas-
ing in those sections. The only sec
tions in which dairy products have had
a rise in price in appropriate proper
ton to the increase in cost of feeds are
those producing condensed milk and
cheese.
Supplies Are Decreasing.
. Our home milk and butter supplies
are therefore decreasing while our pop
ulation is increasing. This deficiency
of dairy butter is shown by the sales
of margarine, which shows an increase
of several million pounds per month
over similar periods in 1915. Dairy
butter, however, has qualities which
render it vitally necessary for table
use. Milk has no substitutes, and
should be not only intrinsically one
Of our cheapest animal foods, but is alb
solutely fundamental to the rearing of
the children.
The dairy situation resolves itself
into several phases. First, it is to be
hoped that the forthcoming abundant
harvest will result in lower prices of
food and diminish the impetus to sell
the cattle for meat. Second, the in
dustry needs encouragement so as to
increase the dairy herd and thus our
dairy supplies, for the sake first of our
own people and second of the allies.
The people must realize the vital de-
pendence of the well-being of their chill
dren, and thus of the nation, upon the
encouragement and upbuilding of the
industry. Third, we must save the
wastes in milk and butter if we are to
provide milk supplies to all, especially
including the children of the crowded