Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-12-13
YOUNG SEEKS
PR0TECTl0NOf
FARM PRODUCTS.
Introduces Bills Designed TO
Curtail' Importation Of
Foreign Products.
Says Great Amount of Stock
and Grain is Shippedsin
From Canada.

Washington. D. c.. Dec. 13.-Con.
gressman George NJ. Young of North
Dakota, chairman of the sub-commit-
tee on agriculture Of the Ways and
Means committee. introduced two
bills today looking to protection on
farm products through the customs
houses.
One bill calls for a complete em-
barge against the Importation for the
period of one year covering wheat.
wheat -four, barley, rye, oats, fax.
wool. swine. cattle and sheep. .The
other bill calls for tariff duties upon
all farm products, the more important
items being wheat soc per bushel:
rye, soc per .bushel: barley, soc per
bushel: fax 81 per bushel; cattle un-
der one year IS per head. other cattle
valued at not more than $50, $3.50
per head. and if valued at more than
$50 per head, 500 ad valorem; swine
$3.50 per head; sheep $3.50 per head;
horses under $3.50 in value. $50 per
head. and over $3.50 in value. 500 ad
valorem.
Young Makes Statement
Congressman Young said today in
respect to these bills:
The critical and distressing condi-
tion of farmers throughout the west
requires the immediate action of. con-
gress. Attention should be called 10
a few of the items.
THE facts in respect to wheat-t1e
price of which has been cut far below
the actual cost of production-haNe
been given much attention in the
restriction Of importations and licens-
ing and control of the grain cx-
changes are imperatively needed.
Much Stock Imported.
During all my thirty years resi-
dence. in North Dakota have never
kpown so many cattle trains from.
Canada to>pass through our strife.
Just prior to the war. nrices on cat
tie were almost as low as at present.
At that time. best. range beeyes sold
at from 50 to $3.50 pef-- hundred
and heifers were sold at $3.50 to
N.25 per hundred weight. with the
bulk Of the good butcher cows selling
for $50 to S. per hundred weight
The. best quality Of feeder steers sold
froms&8 to $S.25 per hundred weight
"fhe high point was reached dur
ing 1918. Since the armistice, there
has been a gradual decline. During
the, past few weeks we have had the
most radical slump in prices expert
enced during the twenty years with
the exception possibly OF the year
1907, which was only temporary. The
present decline amounts from $3.50
to "a per hundred weight. On Dcto--
Der H.. 1918. best range steers were
selling around $12 to SIT per hundred
weight with choice fat cows from 50
to s11. Good grade sold from IS To
50 peEshundred weight
; Range beef steers show Tremendous
loss to the producer and amounts to
! from $40 to $50 per head at this time
as compared with 1915. Fat range
! COWS are selling at loss of from $40
to s25 per head. and it smust be re-
membered that the overhead or oper-
; atlng expenses areas heavy as during
the war.
Wintcring Expensive.
I'm the northwest states. 1t cos.
from $50 to $40 per head to winter
cattle. This. with the big decline in
value. has cost the farmers from $40
, to $40 per head to carry steer for
one year, and from s45 to $50 per
head on COWS. not counting interest
and overhead. On the top of this un-
fortunately, many stockn.en are
forced to market immature cattle OH
the present market to meet pressing
. =.
situation calls for immediate govern
mental action.
THE situation as to sheep has
never been SO bad since 1898 Con-
ditions then We're better as wool had
value. though low and during that
period it cost very much less to OPP.
crate.
Il 'At the present time. fat aan,bs are
selling for 81 per hundredweight, low
er than year ago. and with practi-
cally no sale fer wool it is easy 10
see where the sheep producers. will
land with operating expenses still very
high.
According to figures issued by the
Sheep assocition. it costs AZ 1-2
cents per pound to produce wool and
II cents per pound TO prod uce lambs.
Wool. today. will bring less than half
its cost. Lambs are worth cents
per pound on an average. One year
ago, breeding ewes were selling at
s12 per head notwithstanding bad
(, drouth conditions. Today. with the
mand for ewes and they are not
worth to exceed $3.50 per head.
4 Pelts Lower.
Zone year ago. wool pelts sold at
81 piece. and today. $3.50. Beef
hides year ago were worth from
40c to 46c a pound and ARE selling
i with difficulty at from SC to lac per
( pound. 80 ~ r. 4
d Present conditions as to wool ami
mutton are brought about chiefly ny
foreign countries dumping their SUR
plus wool and M;,dtton on our market
4 causing tremendous losses to our pro-
i, ducers. The trouble began last Aprii
| when ffoxen mutton BEGAN to arrive