Evening star., 1924-11-25
CATTLE SHORTAGE
PREDICTIONS RECUR
Era of High Meat Prices Seen
/. With SIaughtering of
s. Breeding Animals.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

The usual predictions are being
made that America will face an era
of high prices in meats and cattle
shortage three years hence because
of the large quantity Of breeding
animals being led to slaughter The
depression in the live stock industry
is of no little concern here, as the
market 1s Glutted and prices are
down. Indeed, this is the only phase
of the agricultural situation which is
pnspicuous in the discussions OF
farm relief at the moment.
IN answer to the forecasts of an
Ultimate shortage in range cattle. the
answer is made in some quarters
here that the Secretary of Agricul-
lures report in 1921 predicted the
same thing for 1923, but 1t failed to
nateria' ize- The reason probably is
that the cattle population of the
country has been difficult to meas
Ire' especially since the stimulus
given to production during the war
Many Factors Cited.
Just what are the factors most
responsible for the depression, there
tore, are matters on which official
W aShington is not too we'll informe ed.
In the Is States in which cattle rails
ing is an important industry the
opinions of the cattle men seem to
differ. Some say the drought is the
principal reason for the poor condI-
ton OF the cattle sent to ma arket and
the low prices offered Others say it is
the high price of corn which makes
the farmer in the corn belt less
anxious to buy from the range Still
another contention is that the cattle
men are not getting out of their
production the proper proportion of
what the consumer is paying for the
meat he buys
Basically, the question Of marketing
cattle, like the problem of ma rk etIn e
other agricultural products. is looked
Hpon as one that has to be solved before
any OF the other factors can be clearly
marked out and tackled. The suggestion
las been made TO the new agricultural
commission. presided over by former
Gov. Carey OF Wyoming. that Co
operative marketing associations be
formed for the handling of cattle just
Is had been successfully done with
other commodities. In periods of de-
preston there is glut on the mar
ket due either to inability to get the
proper extension of credit or to an
individual unwillingness 10 hold in
1he lace OF an adverse market situation
] he cooperative idea has been re-
sponsiUle for the more orderly mar
fcting OF some products. and. while
for live stock except that credit faciii-
ties are better now than they were
f"W years ago, the authorities here
recognize that solution is essential.
There is some hope that the agri-
cultural commission will give its first
attention to the live stock problem
and possibly present in January
helpful plan. whether IT relates to
legislation or the application of the
Co operative idea to the cattle in
duStry.
The ne" commission is really at
the moment more important SO far
as agricultural policy is concerned
than the Department of Agriculture
it@elf. Assistant Secretary Gore. who
has been appointed Secretary to serve
until March 4 only because he has
b-<n elected Governor OF West Eir-
ginia, Will not have the opportunity
to do more than keep things going
a. they are in the Agricultural De
partment. Tie new Secretary viii
no doubt be chosen when some sug-
geStions on policy have bsen received
from the new commission and IL
would not be surprising il some
nember of the commission were to
be appointed Secretary of Agriculture
to carry forward the work of the
commission
iCopyricht, 1874.