Show W Worried Cattlemen JY v y The I By Frederic J. J Haskin The establishment of at municipal al meat markets in American cities wh where re by some plan of cooperation between the cattlemen packers and the municipal governments beef can be sold to the people at fair prices of which the cattlemen will get a fair share that share that Is the most Interesting interesting interesting inter Inter- esting constructive suggestion which has emerged d from the present confusion con confusion fusion fuston of ot the livestock stock business This suggestion seems to have originated at the recent convention of the American National Livestock association In El Paso where the principal of America met t to discuss their serious troubles The bottom is falling out of the market market market mar mar- ket for their product pr duct the country issing Is sing flooded with cheap meats and hides from the tho Argentine Mexico Australia and other foreign parts and many of the weaker growers ta face e bankruptcy It Is evident that the stockmen have done some deep thinking since the collapse c of f war-time war prices And If they have not ot formulated a complete complete complete com com- and consistent program they have at least reached some InterestIng interesting interesting interest Interest- ing conclusions l The stockmen seem agreed that that their Industry faces a crisis and that radical meas measures res are necessary to save it ft They seem further agreed that the retail price of meat has not n ti nearly as fast nor as far as the the prices prIces which prices which they are getting for cattle eattle on the hoof hoot In t this Is conclusion ion almost almos every every- retail buyer of meats such as you and I 1 will agree with them the i put Cut Cut Out Middlemen l From this they deduce that the tile proper way Vay to make raising cattle-raising profitable for the ranchman and meat cheap for the consumer is to simplify distribution eliminate large numbers of ot middlemen and so bring those two sufferers the producer and and nd the consumer closer together Hence the suggestion for municipal municipal municipal muni muni- cipal markets A committee was appointed appointed appointed ap ap- ap- ap pointed by the stockmen to confer with government experts in the ha- ha bu bureau u- u reau Of or markets of the department department of agriculture and evolve a definite plan The oth other r ideas evolved by the cattlemen cattlemen cattlemen cat cat- were not so original They want a protective tariff on meat and cattle although they seem to realize that this is not a real solution of their problem but merely 1 pallia pallia- pa U tive They want the government to regulate the packers but they are opposed opposed opposed op op- op- op posed to the Gronna bill which would formed forma government livestock Continued on on Last Page TIlE THE WORRIED CATTLE CATTLEMEN IEN From Page One commission There Is a general conviction among the cattlemen that they should be given some form torm of ot protection tion on from th the Influx of foreign cattle e and eat One hears men describe e th themselves as as protection Democrats Democrats Democrats Demo Demo- The The caus cause of most of ot th the s present trouble is the enormous Importation importation Importation Im Im- of ot Canadian and Mexican Mexica n cattle Argentine beef and Australian Austral Austral- ian and New Zealand lamb When it comes to the question o of f marketing cattle and handling handlin g stockyards there is a wide difference difference difference differ differ- ence of opinion This was brought brough broughto t to a focal point by the discussion over the bill Introduced In the Unit Unit- ed States senate by Senator Gron Gronna a of North Dakota Briefly this bill bUl proposes a federal livestock commission commission commis commis- sion to regulate and control the entire entire entire en en- tire industry including the stockyards stockyards stock stock- yards and the tho is Heavy This proposal is opposed on the ground that it would do nothing to stimulate production equalize receipts receipts receipts re re- or encourage the consumption of meat Further there Is a decided feeling against taking the experienced experienced experienced packers out of ot the packing business business bus- bus iness mess and putting this most import import- important ant phase of the industry in n the hands of politicians or directly under their orders and directions The ca cat cat- to sa says s that the packers bear down unduly on him at times but that the packer lr or knows his business and can talk tall tallo 0 o and aid do business with the grown grower as IS no outs outsider cler can The en cr 1 iii ui n s point of view is conditio i 1 i wore ere and aid more by the fact tb that it he a t heavy hei investor All the ranch rani's of i the iu ll wit and southwest southwest south south- southwest west Ire are re n cr time I. I the tile cattle are highly I hll ltd td Horn the best imported I Iso so sorl in all 1 I because ec me of these theo l L Li i K nt UK h cu lalle i lie te are arc c cared fur for o ot i he the ranch r d is as cio lIo eh ely l t 1 n cattle on the farms in Illino t l I Iv I a. a i L It IS s no longer poi po i ile le l I T I tile the m to Lo conduct h his o b tl bj I j tit 0 wi with III a an and a good niem- niem mem I ory orv In fact on the big ranches he t tL the J system s is as tie lila I i 1 i a a- a l I in ill am auy other oilier business To adt ul cO o the I eat problem cattle cuttle cannot D tie Dc i I inhered from frum 01 ule mc e section o of till the i cattle attle it le In to another vIrell hen hell iced urd urdIs t i Is short as in the ol old d tl dys s s Th Th ThI I present t type 0 of f grade grad e ei CI lit CI n he bit sent over the long dr rL c o of re e ci cial 1 al hundred miles milt and t tie the lP nee in railroad rates rutes make miKes sit sk loic j the growing cattle a poor ir Jr S' S So I Ithe the stockman buys bus bu s feed leed an TJ t i oil cake caIre i ito to keep his stock al' al ale ache e dur i the tho I I droughts and bad weather fill tUh 1 1 i I hides as aa tight ns as r t t. t can cm ifor i ht- ht for the best For tilts lis So 3 o n LJ i of hope There I Is no ot r ot-r i 01 j 1 L U it it I The California cattle cuttle men have an association which alms to stabilize prices so far tar as the producer is con con- Th They y have created a aguar- aguar guarantee guar guar- antee fund of ot a quarter o of a million dollars and have havo a committee tomake tomake to tomake make a classification n of livestock Instruct instruct In- In the marketing o of or certain grades rades at specified times and fix a minimum price to be received for them hem If the actual l sale is made for tor less ess the difference is paid to the producer producer pro- pro ducer from the guarantee fund Ithe If It he receives more than the guarantee he pays pas one-half one of the excess Into the fund and retains the other half The main object is s to keep the stock moving in a regulated regulated way so as to avoid glutted markets and to get a aI I re reasonable price for tor the grower Meanwhile l there is a constant campaign campaign cam cam- within within th the association for growing only the very best grades and bringing them to market in the most salable co condition This seems to b be about what the organized fruit fruit- growers grower's have haye b been en doing so successfully successfully successfully success success- fully for years The c cattlemen men ask urgently for tor the pr protection of f a tariff against foreign meat cattle and dressed meats The claim is made that the people of at Europe Eu rope rope have become consumers of vegetable vegetable vegetable oils in the place of meats and that they are tl therefore not In the market for meats to any extent nor will they be bo In the future That Tha t leaves the United States the largest larges t consumer market now open an and d td brings to this country country the surplus s I I cattle and meats of all ll other pro producing producing uc- uc ing countries i t I. I The cattleman wants this competition headed off oIT by a still stiff taril tariff There are more cattle In the Argentine than in the United States I and the cost of raising there and andin in ini i Mexico Is a trifle compared w with the same operation in this country The rich lands o of Canada sent us nearly J half a million head last year that thai should normally have gone to Eu Eu- rope Perhaps lack of money in Eo- Eo rope had more to do with it than vegetable oils The cattlemen cattlemen- want the govern govern- government government government ment to regulate the p packers kers the stockyards the commission men and ono tho the traders They want the the- railroads railroads' railroads railroads rail rail- roads roads- to be regulated and the rates substantially reduced And to these are added a series of ot requests for t the e government to function in a way that will make the the production and distrIbution distribution distri distrI- button of the meat products go forward forward forward for for- ward with considerably less rake-off rake on the route to the consumer than at present Like all other Americans the cattleman cattleman cat cat- believes that almost almos anything anything any any- thing short of the miraculous can be brought to pass by law and govern govern- ment meat But laws have not have not ot helped t him much In the past and perhaps he ho has a faint suspicion that the l law helps those who help themselves themselves Hence while rooting for fo foa a tariff law he considers also the advisability of establishing a meat market anti and selling sell sell- 1 ing the meat he raises to the fellow fellow j who is going to eat it I |