Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-22
REDUCTION IN FOOD
COSTS HAS BEGUN
Nations Ration Is Large as
Ever, but Price Shows
Decline.
BY ]. C., ROYLE.

Despite depression and distress in
some Of the drought districts, the Amer
lean people are consuming just as much
food as in times of utmost prosperity.
Many are not eating as expensive
food as in 1929, but prices in general
are much lower than for that period.
| This is shown by reports from the pack
| ing companies, which operate under
Government inspection. The packing
and other food industries are now ad-
| juSting themselves to the new level Of
! prices. Costs are being lowered all the
| way from production of raw mate
rails up.
Style, according to food producers,
has almost as much to do with food
consumption as with women'S dress.
This is shown in the sheep industry.
Styles OF food made emb popular. Herds
were increased to meet the demand. The
styles changed somewhat, and in 1880
the largest number CT sheep and lambs
in years was marketed AS a result,
dressed lamb went into consumption at
extremely low prices. Just about the
same tonnage of beef is being slaugh-
tered now as year ago.
Nation Must Eat.
The people of America must eat and
will eat, according to food producers. It
simply is question of the price they
must pay One of the strongest fea-
lures of our business" said Louis F.
Swift, former president of Swift & Co.,
today, lis that all meat which comes to
| market is consumed whether business
is good or bad"
1t is the general impression in the
meat industry that cattle prices will
advance in the last half of the year
: ctr be h., frz
and stocks of other food products also
are low. In most lines consumption is
higher than production and this can
not continue Indefinitely without i'm
proyement in prices. It is doubtful
however If the meat industry will show
sales of more than $4,000, 900 900 in
1881
The number of animals on farms is
increasing and feed is at prices adj
vantageOus to feeding them but the
number Of range animals is decreasing,
| the ranges are contracting and the
profits of the range growers are lessen
ing. The range cattle industry in Mon
tana in 1929. a good year, is estimated
to have yielded less than 5 per cent on
the total sum invested.
The export meat business is extreme
~ unsatisfactory, according to the In
stitute Of American Meat Packers. The
business done abroad by the United
States producers is largely confined to
pork and pork products. The American
cattle producers cannot compete with
those of South America and Australia for
the European trade. This is shown by
/ the annual statement of Compania Swift
International operating in South
America entirely for the European
trade, which has just reported net
profits Of S6549287 in Argentine gold
! for 1880.
Australia Cattle Trade.
Cattle men foresee a time. not far
! distant. when Argentine beef will be
I shipped here in competition with the
! American product. Australia nov con-
/ trolls no small part of the world trade
! in mutton and lamb and is building up
! her cattle industry in districts where
range conditions approximate those Of
the Western part Of this country so
years ago. Australia is drawing many
American cowboys to her new ranches.
| In the drought districts the distress
| has not greately affected the outside food
markets. since the inhabitants CT those
districts normally grow their own food
and do not go into outside markets for
| it. Diet" according to food men,
plays a much more potent part. There
are hundreds Of thousands of pros
porous people in this country who do
not have all they want to eat, not be-
cause they cannot buy it, but because
they are on a diet
(CopyTight, 1917