OCR Text |
Show Livestocle Los Angeles, July 8, 1935 An element of uncertainty has developed de-veloped in the cattle industry as imported into the United States, a result of renewed discussion of permitting Argentine beef to be imported into the United States-Uncertainty States-Uncertainty is caused in the meat trade because of the threat to beef values if Argentine beef is permitted to come into the United States. From an economic angle alone, there is no doubt but what Argentine Ar-gentine beef, after paying present pres-ent import duties of G cents a pound, would cost the beef cattlemen cattle-men of the United States untold millions of dollars through further fur-ther depressing cattle values. But the greatest danger, in the minds of cattlemen, is the admitted admit-ted fact that there is hoof and mouth disease in Argentina-While Argentina-While American and Argentine state officials agree that no beef from known areas of infection will be permitted to enter this country, cattlemen and American vetterinaries feel that a conlntry which has hoof and mouth disease within its borders should not under un-der any conditions be permitted to ship beef into the United States. Thus the two elements, from an economic and disease standpoint, stand-point, cause the American cattlemen cattle-men worry and tend to destroy confidence in this fundamental industry in-dustry that of beef production. Pressure for cheaper beef prices from the populous areas has been felt ever since cattle prices advanced sufficiently to give the cattlemen a profit the first profits he has been able to make for several years. However, How-ever, the extremely high beef market was short-lived and there is now no evidence to indicate that this country has a beef ' shortage. short-age. Cattle prices during the past sixty days have worked sharply lower, the result of an apparent plentiful supply of cattle. Present Pres-ent average cattle prices certainly certain-ly cannot be figured as "high' under any manner of reasoning and certainly not from actual cosl of production. The Argentine beef treaty if ready to come before the senate of the United States for ratification. ratifica-tion. The American and Argentine Argen-tine state departments have botV agree upon all details but the senate must act before the flow of Argentine beef into this coun try starts. Every American business busi-ness whether directly involved ir the cattle business or not, shouk bring every possible pressure t bear on our Senators in Wash ington to defeat this measure oi two counts: The real danger o: bringing hoof and mouth infectioi into the United States, and sec ondly, the acute economic dangei to the greatest American agricul tural industry, that of beef pro duetion. |