The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-10-17

country Of the proposal contained in
Mr.. Silver's application cannot be
overestiniated.
"In its argument the Fam Bureau
Federation says, in part:
Conditions in Western Canada
are not favorable to a s~tock-raising
industry. The natural course is for
the beef animals to be brought to the
best possible grass-fed condition and
shipped to the American cornfeeder
for final conditioning. This process
unites the grass lands of Western
Canada to the corn fields of the Mis-
sisippi valley, and is a mutually ben
eficial relation. The tendency is for
the numbers Of our range cattle to
decrease; and that is OF probably will
be the tendency in Canada. The
time may come when we might wish
it were otherwise, but the chances are
that Canada will not be able to in
crease materially the numbers of its
range cattle; and perhaps ever with
free trade restored, it will not be able
to keep up the present proportion Of
it's exports to the United States to
the total number of cattle marketed
in this country
"Mr. Silver's argument is predicat-
ed upon the fact that the bulk of the
cattle coming from Canada are stock
ers and feeders. The cattle raised IN
the West are likewise stockers and
feeders, that move TO the feed lots Of
the corn belt states to be finished off
for beef. and the proposal made would
simply increase the supply and still
further reduce prices that are already
forcing the range man out OF busl-
ness.
, at IS not too much to say that a
} reduction of the tariff as asked for by
: the American Farm Bureau Fedora
! ton would be absolutely disastrous to
, the people of the range country. Inc
producer of the foundation Of beef IN
this country is entitled to c~onsidera-
ton. He has gone drought a DIS
e ~astrous and disheartening period, n
has suffered more than any other. To
= increase his burden at this time would
c not only be an injustice to him, but
would force him out of business en-
tirely.
ct is also contended by the Farm
Bureau that if the Canadian growers
r continue to produce feeder cattle and
e are barred from American markets,
they will develop a trade with Eastern
f Canada and Great Britain to u det-
q riment. Britain buys comparatively
q little meat from us. If the conditions
4 suggested were brought about so that
: Canada were shipping large quantities
II TO Great Britain the result would be
:, not increased competition for the
United States, but increased competi-
ton for The Argentine, where England
at the present time buys most of its
imported cattle.
{ "The eneirt application seems franz
y ed with the welfare Of the Canadian,
and not the American cattle grower
in mind. 1t is a matter of no small
wonder to the Western American cat
a tie growers that the American Farm
Bureau Federation is so ardent in its
: championship of the Canadian cattle
man and so entirely oblivious to the
distress of their own countrymen-
"We believe that the cattle tariff
should be a protective and not a re-
venue tariff. That the present tariff
does operate as a restriction on the
importation of Canadian cattle is
demonstrated by the filing of the
Farm Bureaus application. The pro-
Queer of cattle in this country is en-
titled to protection from his govern
ment, at least to the same extent as
! a manufacturer, as Mr.. Silver calls
the cattle feeder.
"The American producer Of live
/ stock pays taxes upon his land, upor
his cattle, and upon his income fol
the support Of his state and national
governments. His competitor in Can
ada pays no taxes for the support Of
this government which is one very
good reason why the American pro
Queer should be given an advantag'
over his foreign competitor. We cal
: see no legitimate reason for allowing
Canada to dump its surplus Of eat
! tie on las when we already have
surplus supply for which we are hav
" - a ~