Arizona state miner., 1919-08-15
prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)

| prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)
With meat prices to the consumer
SO high that he is denying himself,
and with the prices for live stock, espe-
| cially beef and lambs, so low to the
producer that he is actually losing mon
ey. the nation is confronted with
| grave problem which requires solution
| If we are not to suffer a decline in the
live stock industry.
| 1t is an anomalous situation. The
| department has endeavored to inform
itself on the subject, and after confer
| ence with senator's and members OF the
| house who represent livestock produc-
| ing regions and who also feel deep con-
cern for the welfare of consumers,
deems 1t important to give to the pub
| lie certain outstanding facts, which
may be summarized as follows:
There is no longer need for meat con-
servation. The supply is plentiful, and
patriotic citizens may freely disregard
| the meat-saving placards which are
| still displayed at many eating places.
Europe Needs Pork.
Europe needs our surplus pork, but
| is filling it's beef requirements by i'm
| portations from South America and
| Australia. Prices of beef cattle have
| fallen sharply since March / on ac-
count of the stoppage of exports for
army use, and a slack demand for
| beef at home, due to the continuation
of beef conservation under the mis-
| taken idea that such conservation is
| still necessary to feed the people of
Europe. Beef producers and lamb pro-
ducers who sell their products at this
| of heavy financial losses which tend
to restrict production and cause Sc
rious shortage in future.
The United States will never have
a satisfactory and permanent solution
of the problem until the manufacture,
| sale and distribution of meat prod
ucts are officially supervised by au-
| thorized agents of the government,
working in cooperation with state
| and municipal authorities, whose only
| aim is to serve the public at large
and not any particular class. When
! the federal government is enabled by
| law to maintain a just supervision
over the meat-producing industry that
will prevent unfair dealings, specula-
tion and profteering, by furnishing
| the public from an unimpeachable
source all the facts with regard to the
| industry, and when the states and
municipalities are enabled by law to
exercise similar supervision over in
trastate and local business, then only
can we expect to have fair and stable
markets in which producer and con-
sumner alike will have a square deal.
Beef Industry Crisis.
Some of the particulars of the situ-
alton are as follows:
The beef industry in the United
| States faces most serious crisis.
For a decade before the outbreak Of
war in Europe farmers and ranch
men had been urged to increase beef
cattle production because the industry
was not keeping pace with the growth
OF population. The lowest ebb in pro-
y
ended June 80, 1914, when we prac-
| tically ceased to have fresh dressed
beef for export, but began to import
| 1t from the southern hemisphere. The
campaign for increased production be-
| gan to bear fruit with the outbreak Of
the war and beef again gained volume
in our exports. Prices rose and farm
ers were encouraged to expand their
beef-making operations. With the en-
| trance of the United States into the
war a vigorous successful effort was
made to increase the supply Of meat
for our army especially beef, by ci-
william self-denial. Hotels and res
taurants, at the request of the gov
ernment, reduced the size Of their
beef portions and regularly left beef
off their menus. Private families by
thousands did likewise. Farmers and
ranchmen exerted themselves to the
utmost at great risk in order that our
soldiers and sailors could have the