The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-28
BEEF AND SHOE PRICES.

The livestock and packing interests
are conducting a big publicity cam
paign to induce the American public
to eat more beef The acting secre-
| tary OF agriculture has published a
statement designed to STIMULATE the
consumption of beef. and asking the
public to disregard the war time pro-
visions regarding the conservation OF
meat
The packers were overwhelmed by
orders for beef to feed the armies of
the world. but with rehabilitation are
left with large stocks on hand. The
beef held in the coolers represents
high cost cattle bought under the
stimulus of war demand, and lower
prices would spell serious losses. The
cattle interests are alarmed because
Of the danger of lower rates for steers
on the hoof, and are suggesting that
the packers are obtaining so extreme
profits from the sales of hides and
other by-products that they can well
afford to sustain the cattle market
from declines which would discourage
stock raising.
The situation is interesting from
the view point of the leather market"
says the Shoe and Leather Reporter.
and bears out the postulate advanced
continuously in our trade during many
years that the demand for leather has
developed beyond the production of
hides which results from the slaughter
of cattle for food"
The general public, continues the
Reporter. does not understand an eco
nomic condition which makes beef
cheaper and hides dearer, but per-
haps the plainest way to fix the situa-
ton in ones mind is to say that even
vegetarians insist upon wearing
leather shoes There are so many
substitutes for beef and so few sub
stitutes for hides that there is a de-
cline in one and an advance in the
other.
The argument is sometimes ad-
vanced that lower cost beef would
stimulate consumption, but unfortu-
nately that runs counter to another
economic condition. If livestock prices
are not high the farmers soon discover
that they can make more money by
using their land to raise crops. The
old system of grazing cattle was cheap
as long as land was free, but the
ranges have given way to intensive
farming. At, the rates ruling for corn,
wheat and other crops larger and more
certain profits can be made. II the
land be too dear for great stretches
Of ranges to be used for grazing cat
tie, and II the domestic and export de-
mand for cereals induce so high prices
that grain cannot be used profitably
to fatten cattle how is it possible to
prevent the cattle supply from failure
to keep pace with the increase of pop
ulation? All the government boards
and bureaus sitting around green baize
tables cannot cope with this economic
development.
The big packers can always be
trusted to take full advantage of any
situation, but with large stocks of beef
and small stocks of hides the packers
have no recourse but to lower prices
on one commodity and raise them on
the other.
Again quoting the Reporter: THE
obvious moral for the leather indus
tries is that we must depend more
and more upon imports OF hides and
skins to maintain our supremacy in
tanning and shoe manufacturing. The
free grazing lands will soon be trans
formed into farms. and our former
great supply of hemlock bark will be
exhausted. 1t is more than probable
that the old ratio of so per cent do
nestle. and so per cent imported raw
material for making leather will have
to change to a larger percentage of
foreign hides and skins and tanning
agents.
"Of one thing we may be sure, the
people of the United States are not
going to eat more beef for the purpose
OF helping to make their shoes cost
less"