The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-09-11
KANSAS LIVESTOCK
MAN NOW PREDICTS
DOLLAR-POUNDb BEEF
THINKS THERELL BE "PRODC'
DUCERS' STRIKE" If GOVERN
MENT CUTS PRICE ON H00F

Topeka Kan, Sept. 10.--Declaring
that the course Of Attorney General
ducer." and taking issue with Herbert
g. Hoover, former food administrator
j. II. Mercer secretary of the Kansas
livestock Association and president of
the National Livestock shippers
League, today issued a statement com
meuting ON Mr.. Mowers recent Paris
statement indorsing the course being
pursued by Attorney General Palmer
on the ground that a surplus Of food
supplies for the next II months are
fully equal to the need.
Forrcastng an enforced producers
strike" which will result in a nation.
wide" meat famine when beefstcak
will be hard to get at dollar a
pound Mr. Mercer warns the consum-
ing public that this result may be eX-
pcCted "if the governments drive on
high prices of foodstuffs cuts the pres
ent prices of livestock on the hoof.' lie
saws the beef situation is "critical"
"The elements which enter into the
food supply of America" continued MIR
Mercer. ARE wheat, barley, corn, oats,
cotton, beef. pork and mutton. If there
is a shortage of any one of these food
stuffs the food supply Of the United
States is lessened thereby to just the
extent that that particular food or meat
enters into use as food
Take the wheat crop for instance.
We are at least 40 per cent short Of
the estimated crop, due to the light
Weld of the entire acreage in this coun-
try,
The corn crop will be far short Of
normal, even though the yield is fair,
for the reason that the corn acreage
has been greatly reduced this year.
THE oats crop is about normal and
though there will be little more barley
for direct consumption than heretofore,
the acreage is not greater enough to
materially increase the food supply.
Que to an extensive campaign for
decreased cotton acreage in the south,
| there will be a great shortage in the
supply of cottonseed cake, meal, etc,
which are a big factor in the production
| of beef throughout the west. There
fore. this shortage will be reflected in
a decrease in the weight of all beeves
marketed.
Beef Situation Critical
"The beef situation is critical. I know
| that we are not overproduced and that
| the supply in the next year will not
nearly equal the demand. Statistics al
the principal market centers show that
we have marketed 500 900 less cattle in
1918 than in 1919, and if this shortage
figured in pounds it would amount tC
about Is per cent decrease in weights
The big loss in weight is due 70 the
high price of feed. Cattle are not be
ing finished this year as in 1918.
There was an overproduction Of pork
in 1918 but there is a great decrease in
the number of hogs on the farms today
as compared with year ago. Multiplied
thousands of hogs have been prema
turely marketed at from 100 to 20,
pounds on account of the continual ad
vance in feed prices.
There has been an increase in thu
number of sheep in the United States
but they are being marketed light an,
the demand is greater than the supply
Viewing the food situation from
every angle. | cannot see but that Mr
Hoover is entirely wrong. Great maj
that he is. ! believe that he has givei
out this Paris statement without beini
acquainted with the conditions at home
The farmers and stoclmen Of this cour
try listened to him with confidence il
the past and have hoped that he wa
the man to whom they could look 70
protection against an emergency as nov
Confronts them. In fact, the Kansas an
Missouri stockmen had recently aske
that he be again placed in charge o
the food supplies, but for him to sa
now that Attorney General Palmer
on the right track that he has adopte
the right course-seems to me almos
unbelievable
Fears Disaster
"Palmer's course is directed right a
the producer His every act is aime
At the prices of farm products and a
ready his seizures have caused par
icky condition among farmers an
stockmen, which, if permitted to gal
headway, will bring a flood OF unfir
,shed cattle, hogs and sheep on the MAJ
6ets and disaster to the livestock indus
try. Further ruinous prices to stool
men will mean starvation for thousand
I year hence. The American farme
cannot undergo another slump in price
such as occurred early this summer
and continue the production of liv'
stock.
r 81 want to warn the consuming pul
, lie that if the governments drive o
e. nigh prices of foodstuffs cuts the pre-
y ent prices of livestock on the hoof, ther
. | will he an nnfnrced nrndncnrS' strik