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Show JOHN M. BROWNING of Ogden, world-famed inventor of firearms, who has been decorated by the King of Belgium. SHORTAGE OF MEAT 1I1LSJS Sll Striking Decrease in Number of Cattle, Sheep and Swine in Three Years. WASHINGTON, 1'cb. 3, Shortage oT meat animals in the United States was strikingly demonstrated hy comparatlvo figures made public today by the department depart-ment of agriculture, showing that there arc nine less beof cattle, seven less sheep and threo less hogs now for each 100 persons per-sons In tho country than there were In 1010. This means that It would take 1S,-250,000 1S,-250,000 more meat cattle, sheep and swino to glvo the present population the same supply that the census of 1910 showed to exist While the population of tho country is estimated to. havo increased from 01,072,-000 01,072,-000 to 98.646,000 in the past threo years, the number of beef cattle has decreased 12.9 per cent and of sheep per cent. Tho number of swine Increased slightly, 1.3 per cent, but it did not keep up with tho proportional growth of population. In spite of the reduced number, It Is estimated es-timated that the value of tho cattle in the country increased from $1,534,600,000 in 1910 to $1,930,087,000 on January 1. "This increase In value, howovor," the department's statement pointed out; "docs not necessarily mean that a farmer or stock raiser Is making more. If any, profit. On tho contrary, tho cost of production pro-duction probably has increased more rapidly rap-idly than tho increaeo In tho selling price of livestock. Producers of farm products aro tho last to recelvo any benefit from higher prices paid by consumers, yet they arc among the first to Increaso production if thcro is :l prospect of realizing better returns. "Tho fact that thcro Is a present shortage short-age of nearly 19,000,000 meal, animals in the United States since the census of 1910 Indicates clearlj that tho buslnoss is not profitable to producers." The scarcity of meat animals lu attributed attrib-uted by department experts to tho encroachment en-croachment of fnrms upon range territory, terri-tory, lack of a proper range leasing law, Hhortagc In the corn and forage crop In Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma; Increased In-creased value of land, and higher cost of labor and stock feed, decline In stock raising rais-ing on farms In tho east and south because be-cause of poor marketing facilities; the temptation to sell livestock at prevailing high prices, and enormous losses from hog cholera. |