Evening star., 1928-06-17
Western Live Stock Industry
Shows Sign of Revival
BY HARDEN CoLFAx.

KANSAS CITY. Mo-, June To-
Whatever the urhanites of the East
and elsewhere--may think about the
rising cost OF the family beefsbeAk. the
cattlemen out here In the Middle Wes.
are beginning TO believe the sun YET
may shine upon their industry. and
they are confident that they can stand
a rather strong application Of Ito bensf-
icent rays.
Live stock liz looking up. But any one
engaged In that industry will tell you
firmly that raising cattle, or swine, OF
sheep, for the market 10 the greatest
gamble In which an honest man car
become entangled, not even excepting
production OF field crops.
Without attempting to trespasg upon
boggy political ground. IL may be men,
| toned that number OF live stock mer
were In Kansas City this week, not nec-
essarily In connection with the national
Republican convention, let II be said
hastily, but coincidentaiiy with that
event. Some Of them were Democrats
who might scorn even 10 look at a Re-
publican convention, much less partici-
pate In 1t or It's preliminaries. One OF
the stock men who are Democrats and
who were here q day or So, for instance
was Caesar Kleberg. manager Of the
King Ranch down In Texas, which Id
probably the worlds largest enterprise
Of the kind.
But II would be remarkable week
when large number OF men important
LII the i've stock industry were not In
Kansas City. which boasts. and can
prove It, that 1t is second only TO Chi
cago as live stock market, and first OF
all cities AZ market for stock and
feed cattle and stock hogs, besides be-
Ing the second largest center for horses
and mules. and having the largest live
stock exchange building In the world.
not 70 mention its vast meat packing
Industry, Its leadership as hay
market, Its supremacy as n distributins
center for agricultural implements, its
Importance as the outstanding primary
Winter wheat market. or Its great -four
mills.
Cattle last year brought the producers
greater net returns than even during
the war. due TO relatively high prices
and the low prices of fed. This year
may not be quite 80 good In that re-
apect. for feed Ia increasing In cost. But
the cattle men out this way are look
Ing at course of years rather than O
single season. and IL appears 10 be their
consensus Of opinion that prices will
remain more firm In the long run than
IN long period The cattle Taisers suf-
tered aeutely during the postwar de-
fiation.
There is a shortage of beef cattle In
the United States The production runs
IN cycles OF seven 10 eight years, It Il
on the upward swing now. but beet
appears likely 10 remain at profitable
naaA on The whole. Hog prices have
Dehn declining somewhat after n aharp
npturn IN May. but indications are that
p'K production will be downward this
year. with the probability OF pork Join.
ing an upward movement again.
One reason for the relative shortage
In beef may be traced 10 the war, when
= large amount of range land was
broken under the piow and put In crops
under tho urge 10 produce more grain
THIS same situation has tts influence
upon othtr forms OF agriculture, fol
these new fields are being cultivated In
large units The combined harvester.
thresher ii being used extensively In
Kansas, and such areas and mechanical
methods mean that tho average acre.
age per man IN placed far beyond what
one farmer can cultivate and harvss.