The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-05-22
THE EFFECT OF IMPROVED
QUALITY OF LIVE STOCK
ON THE PACKING
INDUSTRY
By Edward n. Wentworth
Director, Armour's Live Stock
Bureau

Quality Meats Scarce
The meat trade is just now pas
sing through a condition in which
quality meat has been scarce or even
impossible of purchase, despite the
great volume of public consumption
Live stock producers entered the
winter with a greater number OF
hogs on farms than at any time in
our history, and range cattle were
shorter of finish than normal. These
two factors combined, tended to
raise the price of commercial corn,
whose total feeding value was uncer-
tain due to the frosted areas in
which immaturity and softness of
kernel prevailed. AS a result, near
ly every farmer speculated suffici-
emily to hold his best corn back
from the market or feed lot and
turned his cattle and hogs over to
the packer with less fat than at any
previous year since the war. The
effect on the consumer, especially
the high-quality consumer who pat
ronizes the hotel, club and restau-
rant trade, has been serious, since
in his inability to secure his desired
meats, he has been forced to sub
stitute with poultry or fish.
Improvement Slow
Unfortunately, from the stand
point of improved meats, the live
stock industry is not situated to
produce an improved quality of an
animal for some time to come.
All through the central west, the
character of beef animals is at the
lowest ebb from breeding stand
point that it has been in years.
Large numbers of dairy cattle form
the bulk of the native" receipts
at corn belt markets, at such points
as Milwaukee, St. Paul and Cleve
land, often running as high as 60
to rs per cent. The breeders OF
the range country west of the Mis-
souri,, who haze formed the bull
wark of live stock improvers, are
today so heavily hit by the def1a-
ton and high taxes that many of
them are failing and many more
are so reducing their operations
that high quality cattle will soon
be a rarity. Law prices for COM
mercial hogs have had the effect
Of putting the breeders of pure
breds out of business to far great
or degree than the producers of fat
hogs Altogether the situation from
q breeding standpoint is far darker
than from feeding standpoint, be-
cause the latter can be righted by |
| single crop.
Prices Spread Wide
Producers usually retort that |
packers and consumers cannot ex-
)ect quality production when the
xx,iJI
airy costs for production. Certainly
here is more considerable truth in
his statement, but one cannot for
ret that the centuries Of expert
nee previous to the war indicated
hat well-bred cattle cost so little
hat only in times of great scarcity
yould the margin for quality ami
lals over inferior ones fail to take
are of the increased expenditures. {
oday there is a spread of cents :
er pound, or better, between the !
est and poorest grades Of cattle; !
( 3 cents between the best and .
oorest grades of hogs, etc. 1t is
diculous to say that this will not i
Ike care of the difference in cost T
production. Z
Today we have a surplus of cat Z
lality animals. During the war q
le situation was contrasting, as we =
Id a shortage of both. At that ;,
me, quality hogs had little advan- T
ge, as the main duty was to satisfy =
niger. A measure of the situation .,
rather difficult, but it is possible ~
compare per capita consumption h
It'll the margins secured, which will p
We an idea of the volume available n
r consumption and the effect on ",
ices of different classes or hogs.
While the relationship is not ex- o,
t, it is very evident that the four u
ars of consumption, for example, z,
ow decidedly wider margins on
percentage basis, than the four .,
west years. The average for the n
ur highest is 1875 per cent, and A
e average for the four lowest is h,
IS per cent a.
Good Meats Sell ~
While the discussion of the last
ragraph has more definite re-
cking industry, yet it is the drag &C
the low quality animals and meat n
1T provides the selling problems. m
has frequently been said that good
,ats sell themselves, and there is 6,
,nty of experience to justify the %
The packing industry 10
interested in high class products,
t only because of their easier dis 90
5ition to the public, but also be- NJ
Use of the stimulus they give to y,
eater volumes of business. NJ
y