Evening star., 1946-10-13

plex. II stems from too many causes to
be explained easily and simply.
This much, though, can be stated
datly. The meat shortage Is the result
Of Government regulations and controls.
Some OF those regulations were un-
ayoidable during the war, though they
might have been more wisely admins
tered, even then, than they, were.
Others were unnecessary, arbitrary and
iudAfensible. .t
Taken altogether, they have upset
delicate natural economic balances
which will require long time to restore,
even II restrictions should be removed
tomorrow. The balances probably viii
never be restored as long as controls
continue.
So far as the present extreme scarcity
is concerned, 1t Is directly related to the
low feeding value OF the 1945 corn crop.
Farmers recognized early last winter
that their corn wasn't going as far as
usual In fattentng livestock-that it
was taking more pounds Of grain to
produce pound Of pork, beef or
mutton.
Lighter Cattle Marketed.
Being the wise men that they are
concerning their own affairs. farmers
started quite early in the season doing
what they could to make their corn last
until the next harvest. They used lib
eral amounts Of roughage and shortened
feeding periods so that their stock went
to market lighter than usual, Further
more, due to premature selling, meat
supplies were consumed ahead Of sched-
ule. The present meat shortage began
there.
When Government officials awoke to
what was happening. along toward
spring. 1t was too late to do much Of
anything constructive. They had to
avoid ren3ging on foreign commitments
and they had to divide svailable corn
with manufacturers Of starch, mucilage,
sirups and such products. What action
they took dealt . death blow to what
was left Of the meat outlook for the
balance Of the season.
A 30-cent bonus over the OPA ceiling
price was offered for all corn that
farmers would deliver to elevators to
the Governments account during
specified period. That had two effects.
It completely shut Oh the man who had
livestock on feed and was short Of grain
from any immediate source Of supply.
And 1t made . lot Of farmers who had
responded to earlier pleas to sell sqnne
Of their grain at ceiling levels ju& bop
ping mad -
ss..ssk 18Arketed LibetalIy.
STOCK tlaey had on feed Ms marketed
freely an1 rwssnaturely during April
and 1fay. Quite 3 few sows that had
been destined to mother spring pigs
also were liquidated, putting substan-
tial dent in prospective pork supplies
for this coming winter and spring.
Finally, purchase Of replacement feed
er cattle and pigs for feedlots came
almost to . halt.
The situation was all set up then for
the late summer and fall meat short
age. But stu other blows were yet to
fan.
Even with the fighting over for more
than q year. Congress and the admin
istration weren't willing to let price
controls expire. Talk Of q revived OPA
persisted. with the result that what
marketable stock farmers had left was
sent to market during the OPA holiday
In July and August.
When controls, subsidies and all the
rest did come back on September /,
feedlots were bare Of stock. Gone were
even the sows and gifts which had been
bred to farrow the fall crops Of pigs.
No Pork Next Spring.
There is reason No. why the meat
shortage is bound to continue for quite
some time. no matter what happens.
Pork is our basic meat, and pork win be
practically nonexistent next spring
and summer at the time those fall pigs
that never were raised should be reach
ing marketable age and weight. Just
remember that.
What about beef? That's going to be
short. too. for weeks, maybe months, to
come. While farmers were selling what
cattle and hogs they had during July
and August, they did very little replace
ment buying. Prospects were too un-
certain.
With the coming Of September, and
the certainty that price controls were
back for while at least, some replace
mentsbuying began. But it takes time
to fatten animals, or even half-fatten
them. Sixty days is an extremely short
feeding period, and 90 days is well below
average In normal times. Calves often
are kept on farms fun year. and year.
lings seven or eight months.
Anyway, many Of the cattle bought In
September were kept on roughage q
while, awaiting the ripening Of new
corn On most farms, the supply OF old
grain had been exhausted long before.
Many hogs out of last springs pig
crop were carried along slowly, too, until
new corn was ready. That spells more
delay in the marketfng Of meat animals
that are now on farms, and further
postponement Of the day when butchers
cases win contain something besides
poultry and fish. The beans were spilled
months ago. And It's going to take time
to get them picked up.
Farmers Protect Selves.
Some people blaine farmers for the
lack Of meat. They say farmers and
ranchers are refusing to sell stock
However, farmers have only tried to
protect themselves against the results Of
shifting Government policies, economic
vagaries, and crop uncertainties. You'd
have done exactly the same thing II you
had BEEN III their place.