Show ae S 0 t Us at ia JAW JA W imn figures recently published indicate that the total number of cattle slaughtered under federal supervision at the principal mar markets bets show a decrease ot of head tor for tile the f first five months ot of this year compared with last year tilts this means a decrease of 0 about pounds of 0 beet beef or a per capita decrease in consumption ot of about two pounds in the face of this national decrease the los angeles slaughter of cattle tor for may broke all previous may records and the slaughter for the year to date la Is substantially more than preceding prec edine years tilts this situation Is most significant front from the standpoint of the western producer as in years gone by his only outlet was at the middle western and eastern markets but with will tile the Phe nominal development of 0 consumer demand on the pacific coabe lie he enjoys a choice of markets it if the eastern markets do not look favorable lie he may ship to the coast another feature in fit the progress being made in the west toward stabilizing bil izing the cattle situation is that from a few years ago when the west was largely a producer of feeders to be fild shed out in the corn belt for eastern consumption tile the situation lias has changed until the west Is finish feeding many ot of its calves and feeders to supply tile the western de maud mand it has not been so long lone ago that feeders from as far west as the pacific coast have moved to the corn belt for or finishing end and in many cases dressed beet beef has been shipped back to supply tile the coast demand this practice representing ot course an unsound situation from an economical standpoint with the tendency in the west toward finish feeding of live stock to supply the western demand the corn belt is confronted with the problem ot of finding a new territory from rom which to draw its supply of feeders and many observers are now advocating the corn belt raising its own calves predicting it Is only a question of little time until the supply of calves produced in the west and pacific southwest will be utilized entirely tor for western feeding operations to supply tile the western consumer demand in summing cummin up it would appear to be ba a most healthy situation from tile the standpoint of 0 the producer in having the pacific coast market outlet available to him with the figures showing as they do the utilization of a constantly increasing number of cattle catlie in the face ot of a decline in fit slaughter figures nationally such as is recorded above |