, 1925-08-27
FORECAST OF
SHEEP PRICES
MAY MISLEAD

Hon. ]. D. Noblitt, one of the lead
ing flockmasters of the state and
speaker Of the house in the 18th
Wyoming legislature, calls attention
of The Republican to an article which
appeared in a Cheyenne newspaper
%purporting to give a forecast on
various phases of the sheep, wool
and lamb industry, which he says is
likely to have an extremely mis-
leading effect on the general public
and also to have a tendency to de-
press the sheep business to an ex-
tent wholly unwarranted by the
actual facts In the premises.
The article in question was based
on a report by the division of crop
and livestock estimates, a bureau of
the department of agriculture. This
report, after giving estimates and
other official data draws the con-
clusion that an era of lower prices
is to be expected by wool and sheep
men and that this alleged slump will
be due, when it happens, to cover
production" Concerning this article
and the deduction made therein, Mr..
Noblitt says:
LAS a matter of TACT any appreci-
AUG aiS CaoCu lOuuCllOu Cdu D6
caused only by holding from the meat
markets a larger percentage Of old
breeding ewes and eve lambs. So
far that has been done only to a
limited extent, and is not likely to be
done to any larger extent while prices
for them remain at or near present
levels. Growers can neither afford
to hold large numbers of this breed
fnU ofNn1 ~ tn h,u h1ax f1p -
at prevailing prices. Therefore any
increase in production due to either
such holding or buying will not in
e production to any extent.
Quotations from the article I'M
der discussion read like propaganda
for lower meat prices generally, with
a special drive at lamb and wool. and
the subtle, but inevitable boost for
cotton. Ordinarily one would not
expect a report Of this nature and in
partment Of agriculture and there is
n paragraph, quite significant,
and entirely overlooked by the Chey-
enne paper placing the caption over
the article, which helps materially to
neutralize the harmful effects Of the
report. This reads as follows:
1.-The prospective increase in
supply, however, is NOT * great
~ to cause further marked de-
cline In prices unles there
should be = decline in the de-
mAnd for wooden goods, o. a de-
cline in the general price lever
OF a slump in business activity
Carefully studied this govern
ment report seems to u In a circle.
but the damage will come from the
influence 1t will have on those who
read newspaper headings only, or
those who merely glance ove a re-
port such as this. in a casual way"
One other newspaper, either by ac-
cident or design, in printing this so
called forecast, omitted the word NOT
altogether from the above paragraph
thus adding still further to the mis-
leading and confusing effect on the
mind OF all-both woolgrower and
the general public.
The point which deserves special
emphasis is that there Is little likeli-
hood of materially-lowered prices for
wool, mutton or lambs, the present
scale having adjusted itself to q
level allowing a fair margin OF profit
to the flockmasters which will en-
able them. II not further hampered
by unwise legislation and equally
unwise agitation. to from the
disastrous effects of postwar de-
flation.