Norwich bulletin., 1921-02-11

Written Specially For The Bulletin.)
 It is, believe, considered the proper thing to blame the big rneat-paclsers of the middle west for the high price of meat Anyway, that is about what most people do Moreover, they do it with a sustained vigor which indicates that they lind real enjoyment in the proceeding. Now. I'm not disposed ts take up any cudgels in behalf of the mSat-packer5. On general principles it may be set down zs an economic truth that men who have managed to anaass millions by buying meat on the hoof from one set of farfn- CTS and then selling 1t in the carcass to other sets of farmers, ct al are per- selves, without volunteer assistance. My sympatfies are not with them, in any case, but with the farmers from whom they buy stock at low prices and with the hungry buyers to whom they sell It at profits sufficient to carry them, into the millionaire class.
 But
 Did you notice the governments recent report on the livestock holdings of the country?
 While the human population of the United States increased quite little dur Ing the past year, the live stock popula- ton fell of. It fell off to the aggregate value of s2.500, ,Oe0,b ,b00, and to the az gfegate number of almost 10,000,00o head. The decrease occurred in every species of domestic animals, including horses and mules, but was greatest in she milk and meat varieties. For exam pie. the number of horses cwned de- creased less than three per cent, and the number of mules. less than one per cent, while the number of cattle and sheep decreased over four per cent, and of swine over seven per cent.
 It is to be noted, in this connection that the decrease in values was even greater. approximately, than the falling or in numbers. And, by the way, 1t may be interesting to know that the average value of sheep throughout the country was 36.4l [ head, last December, and oi hogs sf2.ss a head. The average vslut of the twenty million horses Uncle San feeds was $s245 and that of his fvt million mules $s3.s7.
 But our interest as three-tinnes-a-da5 hungry people lies more in the meat. producing animals. And. during las year, there was S223, ,000 900 less pait for cattle than the year before, and $427,. oo0,oeo less for hogs to the beef and po4i producers. They sold, between them something near five million less steer. and calves and hogs and lambs.
 In the old days, before the anasins administration st Washington uhdArtooI to assume control of ar business ana before the gangs Of organized prof1teer. joined hands with it in footing the land there used to be a law known as that of supply and demand. The administra tion sought to nullify 1t and substitute g tkysorem. of its own devising. The profit erx-sFt Ao sr7 ff7A iufy Aro which resulted their chance for self-en richIneat. Between them, they hav' managed to hold up the operations of th' law in some respects. But not in all and not as a permanency.
 It Is possible, by undergoing sufficien expense, to fence off with costly break waters a harbor or two, here and ther along the ocean coast. But no break water was ever yet invented which coul stay or even much hinder the sweep 0 the incoming tides or shut off a whol continental coast-line from the towerin surges which roar in
 When descends on the Atlantic
 The gigantic whiriwind of the equinox.
 Being . natural law. like that whic governs tides and storms tho law of sur ply and demand was never wholly abrc gated and Is now once more in brett complete control
 It means, In effect, that when the dt mzad for anything is greater than tn supply, price goes up; when the suppl is larger than the demand, price zoe down. If there is less of any articl than people need, the seller naturall sells to the highest competing bidder: there is more of the article than peopl want, the buyer takes from the cheapes seller.
 Apply thSt, if yeu please, to the hhea situation. There were several nillio more people In the country last yee than tho year before, and there were seV ersl million less steers and calves an sh'cp.
 The more people there ares the large the demand for beef and veal and lam That goes without saying. Yet, instea of there having been an increase in u number of these meat animals during Il