Evening journal., 1919-08-20
eat LESS MEAT
OR FACE POVERTY
High Prices Placing Sclid
Foods Beyond Reach
of Public
No RELIEF AS
YET PROMISED

The average wsge-earner, whether
sy brain or by hand, faces an alterna-
i've.
To eat less meat or suffer bank
-uptcy.
While the evidence collected by the
government demonstrates food proof
tccring. boarding Of food commodities
Tor higher prices and unreasonable
profits by the several dealers through
Nhom these commodities pass on their
Journey from the producer TO the con-
sumer. the facts are that the supply
Of cattle, sheen and hogs in The United
states is at a low ebb. that the scarcity
Is due 20 encroschments by small
farmers on the extensive grazing areas
n the West and that the Middle West
and Eastern farmer have not needed
The cry 20 raise more live stock, not
only 10 supply the demands for meat
but also for land Improvement Not
until the small farmer goes into ihe,
stock-raising. business viii meals ap-
prosch pre-wsv prices.
When the demand Is increasing and
The supply is dwindling there can be
but one result-some people will have
10 do without
The European peasant. even before
the great war, did without meat for
three reasons
First-He did not earn enough TO
buy IL.
Second-There would not have been
enough for him 20 buy II he had the
money
Third-He can't get along without II.
Regarding the value Of meat as a diet.
there is plenty OF room for argument
Vet the fact is that millions or Ar
msnisns were raised on IT, and most Of
them inclined 10 believe that the great
Improvement shown by the foreigners
who come over here is due 70 the fact
that they cat more meat than they did
At home
Every once in a while some enterpris-
ing scientist will come forth with
new lot Of proofs that yegetarianism
would be the best thing for everybody
Nevertheless, the meat-eatng millions
so right ahead enjoying their beef
steak. their bacon or. maybe. their NUT
ion chops and plying every one who
can't afford the same hlissfut regimen
SO FAR the country has produced
enough meat 70 satisfy every one. and
enough wealth 90 send Il into prac-
fically all homes. however humble.
The peasant who came 10 find his for
tune in the new world was overioyed
when he discovered himself in a land Of
meat stews. The sight OF his own
kind eating meat every day was 10 him
stranger than The scenery.
americans abroad have msryeled at
the economy Of The French with their
soun bones. at the use foreigners in
general make ot vegetables. at The
same time plnming themselves upon The
lavish consumption Of meat at home.
The thought that they might have TO
come down 10 the same regimen never
entered their heads.
These very same people now should
sii up and take notice. Their bacon is
not only getting dearer. but scarcer.
Their heefsiesk is considerably less
plentiful than few years ago.
Take. for instance. cattle on farms
other than mich COWS. In 1907, which
was the banner year for most every
thing the high-water mark was reach
cd. There were then si566.0OO avail
able cattle. valued sl ssSi557. 900. In
that year the population of the country
VAS placed at S5Si72S9.
Then. on January 4. of The present |
year the available cattle other than |
mich cows numbered about iJ.0OOO0O |
and were valued az s9i7. $4,000. Mean !
While ~ population has jumped TO /
800 oo0000 or ihereabOuis-i.O i.OO0OO0 de- |
crease in cattle, ii.0OoOOo increase in I
population
For the banner year in pigs, so far as