Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-08-15

spected and Passed
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 aad lambs, so low to the
producer that he Is actually losing mon
ey, the nation is confronted with a
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 senators and members of the
house who represent livestock produc-
ing regions and who also feel deep con-
cern for the welfare of consumers,
deems it 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 its beef requirements by i'm
portations from South America and
Australia. Prices of beef cattle have
fallen sharply since March 1 on ac-
count of the stoppage of exports for
dnnlQnd
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
| time are confronted with the danger
| of heavy financial losses which tend
to restrict production and cause a 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 just supervision
over the meat-producing industry thai
will prevent unfair dealings, specula
ton and profiteering, by furnishing
the public from an unimpeachablt
source all the facts with regard to the
industry, and when the states an(
municipalities are enabled by law tt
exercise similar supervision over in
trastate and local business, then onl.
can we expect to have fair and stable
markets in which producer and con
sumer alike will have square deal
Beef Industry Crisis.
Some of the particulars of the stu
atior4c'~e as follows:
I aef industry in the Unite'
Sta fees a most serious crisis
For J. .ecade before the outbreak o
war in Europe farmers and ranch
men had been urged to increase bee
cattle production because the industr
was not keeping pace with the growt
Of population The lowest ebb in Pre-
duction was. reached in the fiscal yea
ended June 80, 1914, when we pra'
tically ceased to have fresh dresse
beef for export, but began to impol
it from the southern hemisphere. Th
, campaign for increased production b,
gan to bear fruit with the outbreak {
the war and beef again gained volum
, in our exports. Prices rose and farm
ers were encouraged to expand the
J beef-making operations. With the el
! trance of the United States into IL
I war a vigorous successful effort ws
made to increase the supply of me;
for our army, especially beef, by {
william self-denial. Hotels and re
taurants, at the request of the go
ernment, reduced the size of the
+ beef portions and regularly left be
: off their menus. Private families
: thousands did likewise. Farmers al
ranchmen eXerted themselves to Il
h utmost at great risk in order that O
l. soldiers and sailors could have t
best food that skill and loving ca
e could produce. The result is histol
IS From an export of beef and beef pre-
: ucts of 151,000 pounds in 1914, '
C exported 590,O00,OO0 pounds of be
n and beef products in 1918-almc
= equaling the great surplus of 19i
when our population was 35,000,O
people less than now. The exports
1918 were treble the three-year p
/" war average.
- - Europe Does Not Need Beef.
The war is over. In little wh
,r the presence of American soldiers
20 Europe will be a memory of no
"A sacrifices. We must not forget Il
,D the principal use for the beef
re shipped over seas in such quaint
or was for the men in uniform. Euro
" short of food though it is, does
av need beef from the United States
n, much as it needs our pork. The sto
OF cattle in the most of Europe h;