New-York tribune., 1922-12-03
EDe~soi Forsioll FssoscloI c0rrssBoaesrcs

gpec,ol Forsiou F,soxo.oI corresp0aeeree
BUENos AyREs, Nov. S.-~After
nome months Of alienation from 4
condition Of affairs that could only be
described as disastrous 20 the stock
breeders Of Argentina, tho situtstion
has again become so desperate that
the pastoralists arc demanding drastic
aetion on the part Of the goyernmnet
against the freezing companies. which.
they allege. are strAngling the industry
and bringing the country to the verge
Of ruin.
During and immediately after the
war the Argentine cattle grower en-
joyed an era Of prosperity never be-
fore known. Prime chilling steers sold
As high as t275, or about 20 eentsvos q
pound, for beasts running over 7OOn
700 pounds. This was net TO the pas
torafist on his "estaneia." Land VAL
ues rose enormously, extraordinary
prices weer paid for bulls. and, despite
the strong demand for cattle and the
heavy slaughter In the frigoriheos,
which were working full time, every
one who could do 80 went IN for breed
ing more and more stock.
Toward the end Of 1920 the situation
changed. Values steadily declined, ex-
ports decreased ard the freezing con-
panies slaekened their. operations.
Early this year a vsritAble crisis en-
sued. Chilling steers brought no more
than i2 70 IS eentavos n pound. the
banks began 10 call up their loans
against cattle, and IN general the bot
tom fell out Of what had been phe..
nomenal boom in Argentina's prineipsl
rural industry. Failures among pas
toralists considerably augmented the
bankruptcy returns over months dur
ING which there was a marked improve
ment In this direction among general
traders.
II seemed that, while trade and COM
merce in general had passed through
the period of severe depression and
business was once more getting on
solid basis, the psstoraiists were just
beginning TO suffer from conditions
that had done their worst TO other pee
pie
Prices Lower NNf
From about May onward there was
some Improvement In the beef-grow-
ing industry and prices rose to about
20 eentavos a pound. Unfortunately ~
the betterment was not matntsined,
and this week we have seen prime beef
down again to from IL TO II eeatavos
a pound. Naturally the eatlemen are
deeply concerned over this eopditlon.
They find them selves in possession oi
big herds, running on highFy'prieed
land, and practically no demand Tor
their cattle at prices that leave any
profit. Whatever may be the true
ea,S.. of the situation that exiSts-
and undoubtedly II Is a serious one
the consensus Of purely ArcnRtine
opinion, rightly or wrongly, is that the
British and American freezing and
meet exporting companies are directly
and deliberately manipulating the
market for their own selash ends.
Some weeks ago a new organization
II pastorsists was forced as the re-
suit Of a manifesto that bitterly as
sailed the foreign capitalist, and con-
demned practically every foreign en-
terprise in the Republic. This week.
crowded meeting was held under the
auspices of the Argentine Shorthorn
Breeders Association and kindred
bodies, when Pedro I. Pages, one OF
the best known "estancieros' OF the
country, delivered a most pungent as
sault on the packers" He declared
that there was absolutely no truth IN
the common assertion that the Argen-
tine csttle-gTowers were merely suffer
ing the consequences Of postwar pre-
nomens, and attributed the crisis
positively 70 the Vaccinations Of the
Anglo-Ameriean beef trust, or Confer
ence." After quoting extensively from
statistics relative to the needs Of the