The Washington herald., 1921-08-14

III possible, TO meet with representative groups
of people whose business is intimately related
10 the agriculture Of the nation" said Secretary
Wallace in address before the Institute OF Amer-
can Meat Packers at Chicago Tuesday
III the department is to measure up to the obl-
CATION imposed by the law which created it, then it
must do great deal more than merely promote
better methods of farming and livestock production.
Il must take note OF practically everything related
both to the production and distribution of farm
crops and livestock. Any effort separate produc
ton and distribution must be purely arbitrary and
indcfensibe. Intelligent and continuous production
depends upon efficient and economical distribution
The utilization OF crops is necessary 10 continued
production.
sThe production and sale of livestock is an es-
sential part Of American agriculture at the present
time Possibly long in the future the time may come
when. because Of congested population and conse-
quent pressure for food livestock industry will
be far less important that is now.s Perhaps the
time may come here as il has in China when human
labor will be cheap and the struggle for food so
severe that We cannot afford to keep livestock ex-
cept for scavcnger purposes except land which
csnnot be utilized for any other purpose. But that
time has not yet arrived Under present conditions.
and for great many years come. the business OF
producing and fattenng livestock will be one of the
most important enterprises connected with agriculture
We know that the larger the amount of our crops
we feed to livestock the less decrease the fertility
and forage and grain to livestock is one way of
storing up surplus crops for future Stilsfurther
we know that liberal supply of meal essential
paft of the dict of our people. Thercore. il is most
Important that we study The jyestock industry in its
entirety with the purpose of putting il ON a thor
oughly sourd. profitable bass-on basis that makes
reasonably sure fair reward for efficient productive
effort rather than for speculative ingenuity.
Efforts Lacking IN Past.
II. 49,
u fort to put this great industry upon sound
business basis Every party il has worked independ
emily and often in conflict with the othr parties to
the same industry. Consequently we have had al
ternate periods Of adversely and prosperity The in
dvidua producers have biindy endeavored to adjust
their production to price. Some few Of them have
succeeded 10 guessing the future fairly we'll, The
large number have responded to periods of high
prices BY rapidly increasing their production and this
has resulted always h periods OF low prices during
which they have decreased production i, and thus
brought about another period Of scarcity and hi~h
prices In many ways the production Of livestock
and more especially the feeding Of cattle. has been
great gamble This appeals to che sporting instinct
OF the shrewd producer, but does not .
liable industry.
I'D periods Of depression when the livestock pro-
ducers are compelled to accept prices below the
cost OF production there has been bitter complaint
directed especially against you gentlemen who are
engaged in the packing business In periods Of
prosperity, when prices good, these complaints
subsde only to rsappear during the next period of
depression.
I'VE can never hope 40 adjust the production Of
livestock to the needs Of the consumer with any de-
gree Of exactness We canhot control many of the
factors which influence production; neither we
control ali Of the factors which influence consump
tons The weather, for example, has q pronounced
influence on production. while the amount Of meat
eaten is influenced very directly by business condi-
lions both at home and abroad. and one has yet
devised any plan by which accurately foretell
these conditions. Consequently there must always
be considerable give and take in production and