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Show H; GENERAL CONDITIONS. v M The American Live Stock and Loan company sums up H' j conditions in part as follows: H There are so many things we could speak about at H this time, that it is difficult to select those to which, we H should give the most attention; however, far above any- H thing else at this time, according to our opinion, is the H ! transportation question, and what may take place during H ,i this fall, when we feel the congestion that will follow the H troop and war material movement. This one feature of H ! transportation overshadows all others, and 'everyone H ' should immediately give this matter his most careful at- H ,' tion -and, if possible, anticipate his needs. We mean, H those who can now buy their cotton seed cake, coal supply, H . or buy necessary lumber, wire or fence posts, should by H all means do so, rather than wait until fall, when grain, H coal, live stock, fruit and other products are moving in H great quantities ; for as stated, it will be during that period H that the war movement will also be active and congestion M will be sure to follow. H , ( In considering this transportation matter, it is proper M ' ' for us to touch on the proposed railway rate increase H l , matter. You may have thougnt much about this, but it H 4 may come around this fall that you will not be able to' H i; ,j- get your cattle to market, or ship in your cotton seed B ' H f cake, simply because the railways may break down under M s the load that will come to them. The reason for this may H be shown by the fact that the past income for the carriers, H ' based on normal traffic at present rates, was not suff ici- M ent to give them surplus earnings to go into necessary M ' j improvements and extensions, hence your predicament, i M J v' When this rate question first came up, we at once went on M ; ' record as favoring a five per cent increase. We are now J M convinced that this is not enough and believe ten per cent M on live stock a fair figure. The average rate on live stock B to market from the western country is about 33 cents per M ? hundred pounds; ten per cent would mean 36.3 cents, or 1 on 24,000 pounds, the increase would be $7.92, on say1 M f 24 steers, or 33 cents per head! Let us not be carried H , , away by some "hot air" artist from East of the River, M i , about .this auestion, but remember that this 33 cents may , M I mean the difference to ourselves of proper conveniences fl i and reasonable transportation, or the destruction of our M business, for there is no one more denendent on the rail- M ( ;; way than the cattle man. That we have some right to M speak on this auestion is witnessed by the fact tfiat during M the month of May just past, we paid the freight charges H , on 42,000 head of cattlo, that we were delivering, or H ; enough meat animals when they are ready for market, to H " feed 70,000 soldiers for one year. So it is not the theory H of an economist that we are advancing, but a deduction H . made possible by the years of actual experience in affairs H , that mean more than the explosions of sinister politicians, B j or men who feel that to retain their jobs they must con- H I tinually bait the railways or other things that seem big H i to the ordinary mind. B , J I regard to finances in this country and general busi- y ' ness, we believe that for the next two or three years gen- Rm v eral business will be under great nressure, will be tre- BM mendously active and that we will have "good times" in K business. A careful study of the situation indicates that H the vast sums of money being provided by the government. H through its bond issue will be spent largely at home and H ' will circulate through our business channels. Naturally H this will be accompanied by intense activity and the eni- H ployment of labor to its fullest capacitv, followed by strong H demand for food products and wearing material. Prob- H ably the imports of gold will decrease on account of the H , war credits that have been created in this country for H. ' the Allies and we may lose quite a bit of gold to Japan or K otner countries that are supplying the Allies, but this K ' (oes nt seem like a serious menace. Interest rates will i ; , probably stiffen somewhat, but for legitimate business H j ( there will be plenty of monev. and the one feature that H ! should be riven careful consideration is the liability of H ( people to inflate their undertakings in a way that might H4 1 I afterwards hurt. B j , , In recavl to the supplies of live stock, there has been H J a great deal of hvsteria about the shortage of beef. There B , ! is no such thipg in the United States. For proof, the sup- H , , Plies of cattle at the seven bif markets in the United States H ( i date are a half million head more than in 191(5, and H ' 191 G,,was one of the biorvears in receipts. Thin does nnf- 1 , indicate a shortage, and whila there are less hogs, still -if Hl flflBBL..." - -bbbbbbbbbbbIbI we can.quicklv correct that, and the meree depart from the normal way of doing tilings or'thinkmg, in connection with our live stock or other matters; th more diferpufl for -us all. What .the country, should do"is- toavfiid the waste (just think of what is thrown away with a roundup wagon !) that we have been so, accustpmed;to put up with, and go about our Business in the most sincere and sturdy manner, and not get excited, and look carefully, after con-ditions con-ditions that are inside our own fence andn our own range, and in that way we can serve our country best Of course we have unusual conditions, and while they exist we may haye to make an' unusual endeavorfbut ex: citement and hysteria gain nothing. All of us connected with the live stock business should make it a point to economize econ-omize in connection with"feed supplies, take care of the increase of the'hercls and 'practice conservation to the utmost. Returning" to the waste feature iin 'cooking ;foia mess wagon on the round-up, I suppose we throw' away enough to feed as many French soldiers as the wagon carries. We should teach the cook the real value of food, not in dollars, but as a unit of value itself that dollars cannot replace or find and that idea should follow to our hay fields, cake feeding, etc., with which we have been wasteful to a degree that has been almost shameful. |