New-York tribune., 1918-02-14
Delegates From National
Livestock Association Give
Facts to President
Failure of Grain Crop
Blamed for Slaughter
Thousands of Immature
Steers and Cows Killed:
Farmers Hard Hit

WASHINGTON. Feb. 13.-Prcsident
Wilson and other government officials
we're presented to-day with formal
address and copies Of the resolutions
adopted by the National Livestock AS
sociaton at their recent convention in
Salt Lake City. A special delegation
from the organization, headed by I. T.
Pryor, president, and T. W. Tomlinson,
secretary, made the presentation. The
formal address, setting forth the view
point of the association regarding live
stock conditions in general, was as fol-
lows:
"The democracies of the world are
to-day sighting to maintain their polit-
cal independence and to secure for
their children freedom from Prussian
domination. The danger of food short
age in America for the supply of our
allies is threatening success in the
war. For this reason we deem it the
part of good citizenship to call your
attention to essential facts.
while for twenty years the increase
of livestock for meat purposes in the
United States has not kept pace with
the increase of population, we believe
that there has been in the year just
gone the greatest sacrifice of breeding
stock which has occurred in any one Of
the last twenty years.
Seventeen million, five hundred and
ffty-two thousand, five hundred and
sixty-siX head of cattle passed through
the livestock centres in 1916, while in
1917 no less than 22,239,62S passed
through the same stockyards. Of the |
increased number of cattle slaughtered |
about 100000 were immature steers
and young COWS.
Slaughter Was Necessary
"The feed shortage resulting from
unprecedented drouth over large area
of the nation was such as to require a
heavy slaughtering of the calf crop in |
order that there might be a greater
probability of saving the lives of the
mother COWS. This makes inevitable |
a short yearling crop for 1918. The |
severity of the winter storms in tae
Northwest also tended to bring about
the same result AS a consequence IF
the impoverished conditions of the
mother cows, it IS inevitable that the5 !
Will produce greatly reduced crop Of
calves in 1918. Thus the feed condi
ions of 1917 will have affected the
Iearling crop of 1919.
Notwithstanding the conditions
Ibove mentioned, the last six months
lave seen hundreds of thousands If
oung and immature cattle slaughtered,
eturnlng to owners less than the cost s
# production. This slaughter of IN 6
nature steers and young cows has cut
nto the beef supply of the immediate {
uture, as we'll as into the foundation
or the production of years to come.
lany beef cattle being marketed at the
resent time are showing losses to c
wners. Since 1914 two Of the three {
rops Of beef marketed have returned
oss to the feeders.
This, when We have world war and 6
very part of the animal is being paid
or at the highest price to the con- ,
umers in the history of the countfv.
n spite of the results to the producer. I
he interests that handle the products Z
rom our cattle have shown for these .
ame years enormous profits. This
act, we think, will be made clear by
he report of the Federal Trade Com
llssion on the packing industry, which
e venture to hope will shortly be made
ublic. t
Dairy Farmers Are Hit s
THE dairy farmer has Jared no bet IL
r economically than his meat produc- t
q brother. In addition to his econo- "
lc losses, when organizing for the :
lrpose of securing a fair price for -
IS, product, he has been threatened n
lth wholesale prosecution and, in v
me instances, indicted under the e.
ltl-trust law. Events of 1917 will
ng be remembered by the dairy farm q
$ of America. n
Farm labor is the poorest paid labor Fl
any of the basic industries. The {,
oportion that the producer receives Il
what the consumer pays for the h
oducts of the farm is insufficient to b
rmlt the farmer to compete in wages d.
tn the transportation, merchandising f,
d manufacturing industries. Those o.
lose part IL is to produce are unable, r,
reason of scarcity of labor. high in ~
rest and difficulties of distribution, O,
increase the output of the farm and 7,
nch, and stand helpless in the face of n,
impending food shortage Is not y, y,
~ ~, matter of national concern? "
The producers of the nation are -
'9klng to Washington for leadership, ~
tlonal in its scope and just to all. to ~ ~
nedy this situation." =;