The Washington herald., 1920-07-15
A .1o20- Name.


increase in. the price of meat prod
ucts between now and July 1, 1921.
is the prediction by Everett c.
Brown, commission man and presi-
tdent OF the Livestock Exchange
This will be good news to the
farmer, who. according to. Brown,
lost from $50 to SIS on every steer
fattened last winter. To the har-
rassed consumer in the city 1t will
mean just two things-the tighten
ing OF the belt and a vegetarian
diet. s-
: The prophecy OF Brown. who is
considered one of the most level
headed experts in the livestock in
dustry in the country. is not en-
tireiy pessimistic insofar as the con-
sumner Is cpncerned. In his opinion
lower grain prices will prevail DUR
ing the next year, which win mean
cheaper bread, but as for meat
beef, pork and mutton-that will go
soaring, but again there is a ray
of hope. Mr.. Brown does not look
for a great increase from the re-
tailers as they have already ex-
acted all that the traffic could bear.
Meat Certain to Rise.
Meat on the hoof will steadily
rise" said Brown, but the product
in the shops will not go kiting with
1t. That II will mean a raise to
the individual consumer can be
taken for granted but not in pro-
portion to the wholesale cost for
the simple reason that the retailer
has already taken up tn . slack.
He has been the real profiteer re-
gardIess OF ~deniaIs. IL is he who
has paid no attention to the raising
and lowering of the prices at the
primary markets. He put 1t up so
high at the start that 1t made no
difference to him whether the prices
rose or fell"
That higher prices will be felt at
once and, especially during the next
three or four months, was the pre-
diction OF Brown.
Cattle. which sold for s13 a hun
dred in May, said Brown, will sell
for $50 before the snow flies. Hogs
which were s14.50 in April will be
SIS by October l."
Mutton, according to Brown. will
follow suit and in time may disap-
pear from the market on account of
the effort OF the wooden trust to
bear" the price of the clip.
The sheep rsisers are in a serious
predicament." he said. They had
great deal of trouble in raising
the new crop on the Western ranges,
especially, and now comes the threat
of lowering the price of wool to IS
and 40 cents a poand. The growers
VIII have to go out of business and
naturally mutton will be scarce as
the supply will depend on what the
smaller growers do, the individual
farmer who raises only few
sheep"
Many Causes Cited.
The causes which have contribut-
ed to the gradual rise in prices have
been many, according to Mr.. Brown.
conditions in Europe. in his belief.
VIII have tremendous effect in the
future. not only economically but
socially as well, 1t will not only
dictate the prices of meat products
but also fabricated articles and this
VIII cause an upheaval, which in the
oelief of Brown will rock our social
structure to it's foundation.
meat products in this country
nave been comparatively cheap"
SAID Brown, because of the unset
tied conditions in Europe. The ex-
change situation has been such that
european countries could not buy
from US. This is gradually adjust
ing itself and with money and cred
It's stabilized so far as exchange
goes, they will be in the market for
cur meat producIs s. on a scale hfther-
10 undreamed Of. The reason for
TINS Is that Europe, with their fac
tories busy, will be able to buy and
as they are likely to produce goods
cheaper than we can, they can sell
their manufactured articles here at
a lower price than we can make
them. This will affect us in two
ways 1t will increase the demand
ior meats AMI also tend to throw
our own workers out of employ
ment.
Workers Must Economi.e.
The latter will be the more se-
rlous OF the two. The worker in
this country has. dupins the last few
years, changed his standard of liv-
Ing. He has beea wearing silk shirts
and expensive saoes. He has always
nad roll" in his pocket. He will
Diane somebody for it's disappear
ance, what more natural than that
~ VIII fall on thu profiteer and, with
the less Intelligent, the profiteer and
the man with rnorey, regardless Of
now ne had accumulated II, will be
cynonomous. - :, =
With the mounting cost Of Nv
Ing, GcEu4ta fha fn<1,,~ t