OCR Text |
Show Meatless Days Pose Question; Indifferent Acceptance Noted THE emergency caused by the short corn crop and plans for continued large exports of food grains for human consumption, can be met without disrupting the livestock, dairy and poultry programs of the American farmer, farm-er, the American Meat Institute said recently. In elaborating upon its contention, con-tention, the Institute added: "We seriously question whether 'meatless days' or 'eggless days' will correct the present situation. The current problem and the problems of the future must be solved at the farm level where grains and livestock are produced. pro-duced. "The need for hungry people abroad centers largely around wheat. In most localities wheat ordinarily Is not fed to meat animals an-imals in large quantities, but this year with a shortage of corn, there undoubtedly will be a tendency ten-dency to use more wheat for the feeding of dairy and meat animals ani-mals as well as poultry. i '" "SO one way of conserving wheat is to extend the corn supply sup-ply and make the best possible use of other feeds such as pasture pas-ture grass, hay, forage and byproduct by-product animal and vegetable feeds of high protein quality. The inauguration of a stock feeding program along these lines will make the customary feeds go further. "Any effort to cut back, reduce re-duce or curtail livestock numbers num-bers can cripple our entire future fu-ture economy in this country. It is imperative, therefore, for the welfare of the country and the future happiness of consumers consum-ers that farmers keep their efficient ef-ficient herds and flocks intact and maintain their 'plants' for the production of meat, milk and eggs. "Wheat required for European relief need not be used for feed, and the constructive plans which the members -of the Citizen's Food Committee are now studying study-ing details how this can be accomplished. ac-complished. "While, in our opinion, the major responsibility is in the hands of those who feed livestock, live-stock, including dairy animals and poultry, consumers now can do their part to assure future adequate supplies of meat and help maintain a nutritional d:et." In the Uintah Basin the voluntary vol-untary 'meatkss days' program was branded a "flop" by market operators. A Roosevelt butcher, commenting on his meat counter coun-ter sales for last Tuesday, reported re-ported that total purchases had exceeded any single day . of the previous week. RATHER than reflecting an altitude of indifference to a hungry hun-gry Europe, the absence of an expected serious acceptance of 'meatless- days' posed the question: ques-tion: "Will this program accomplish accom-plish the results for which it is intended?" Some emphaticalb' hold the negative view, others await official assurance that it will. It begins to appear, both locally and nationally, that 'meatless days' are not going to be accepted without question until un-til some proof establishes them as an essential food conservation measure. There seems to be a general belief among local retail meat dealers that the present high price of meat constitutes a food saving policy without the voluntary vol-untary angle being injected. Consumers Con-sumers are buying less meat because be-cause of its prohibitive cost, they say. In normal times, according to "behind the counter" observations, obser-vations, people buy what they want now they buy what they need and can afford. |