CUTTING DOWN LIVING EXPENSES

...This crisis is especially noticeable in Vienna which has a population of 2,085,888, compared with 373,000 for Milwaukee...

...At least one million crowns are specially appropriated annually for the improvement of the arrangements for the sale of cattle and butcher's meat in towns, as well as those for exportation...

...2. To give advice and information to the farmers on all questions relating to the sale of cattle, whether by sending -special, technical agents to the fairs and cattle markets, or by means of publications, or by organizing special offices of information, lectures, courses of instruction, etc...

...An increase in the number of animals is a definite aim in order that the consumers may be completely supplied, and that the price to the consumers may be gradually reduced...

...However, the profitable sale of cattle and their produce has become a vital necessity for agriculture...

...This was because middlemen would offer higher prices to the individual farmers for a short time in order to disrupt the society and then they made up for this by paying the farmers low prices and charging the consumers high prices...

...The farmer, left to himself, cannot contend against the merchant...

...Great numbers of cooperative societies are now being formed in all parts of the country and the movement is gaining in strength under the stress of the crisis noted above...

...Experienced and trustworthy agents look after the sales for the farming population and see that all cattle are properly forwarded to the market...

...Intermediate agents are to be eliminated as far as possible, and the cost of marketing reduced to the minimum...

...Thus they have specially favored the action of the Vieh-verwertungsstelle founded in Vienna by the General Federation of the Agricultural Cooperative Societies in Austria...

...The first step taken was by the General Federation of the Agricultural Cooperative Societies in Austria in 1907...

...These societies send the cattle belonging to their members, to this central society, in some one of the cities mentioned...

...and second, to organize the market and the sale of cattle in such a manner that the farmers may derive the greatest possible profit...

...The establishment acts as intermediary agent and an informaton office has been established which receives offers and applications from cooperative societies and individual farmers...

...A thorough examination of the reason for the present situation in Austria shows that it is partly because the number of cattle in the country is not sufficiently numerous, and partly because of the bad organization of the market...

...The principal duties of the organization are as follows: 1. To give opinions and make suggestions at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, and on its own initiative...

...It provides that all members of a local society must consign to the society all of the cattle they intend to sell...

...Progress is assured...

...You are reminded, in this connection, that on several occasions, certain veterinary surgeons, on vigilance service on certain railways, have, it appears, raised excessive difficulties with regard to the shipment of cattle, destined for the Viehverwertungssteile of Vienna, difficulties from which other cattle agents were exempted...

...A Central Organization was wanted, suited to unify the work of improvement in the sale of cattle, and to direct it in the common interest...

...diary...

...In that order we read: "As results from the order dated 20th of September, 1907, the Ministry of Agriculture specially desires you to promote in every way the despatch to the Viehverwertungsstellen, (established by the Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Societies) of the cattle destined for the Vienna market...

...The two steps which seemed necessary were first, to favor the breeding of cattle in the country so that in the course of a relatively short time (nine years) the production might fully satisfy the needs of the consumers and second to organize the market and the sale of cattle in such a manner that the farmers may derive the greatest possible profit...

...The farmers of thousands of organizations in the United States have had similar experiences...

...4. To encourage the organized exportation of cattle...

...The parties interested are able to enter into communication at once and they may conclude their business directly with each other or they may avail themselves of the information office as an intermeIn Austria the Minister of Agriculture has given assistance to the central markets established by the Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Societies...

...Although the institution in question has not been long in operation, it is quite evident that it answers the interests of agriculture in the best possible way...

...To these disadvantages must be added the high charges of numerous intermediary agents for their services, whence arises :a notable difference between the purchased price paid to the seller and the price of sale as paid by the consumer...

...James Wilson would sound to an Austrian like an account of conditions in Austria...

...An ordinance was issued by the Ministry on the 20th of March, 1910, instituting this central organization...

...And the I. and R. Lieutenancy or Provincial Regency is again invited to recommend to the different competent bodies within its administrative jurisdiction to interest themselves in this work, and to lend it the necessary assistance...

...As soon as the merchants offered fair prices the farmers sold directly to these merchants instead of sending to the central market, and whenever the merchants try to lower their prices the despatch of cattle to the central city at once increases...

...The funds are first of all to be divided among the different provinces according to the number of head of horned cattle existing at the most recent exact Census...

...In view of the insufficiency of laborers in the country, it seems opportune to encourage as much as possible the rearing of cattle, which requires a smaller number of laborers...

...That is the stage which we have reached at the present time in the United States...

...It notes that "the difference in the selling price of meat as quoted in the central market in Vienna and the price of the retail butchers amounts to sixty-nine per cent...

...he has no influence in the determination of prices, because he has no information, because he is always anxious to sell to get ready money, not being able, himself, to attend the central markets, which are too remote from his place of residence...

...There are other special societies for the sale of butcher's meat directly to consumers...

...Cooperative societies are to be definitely encouraged...

...But these first attempts were evidently insufficient, in consideration of the initiative coming from a few isolated cooperative societies, many of them too weak to exercise any influence upon the market...

...The losses he must suffer under this head are the mere keenly felt as cattle rearing is one of the most important branches of rural economy...

...This is a special appropriation over and above all ordinary appropriations...

...One clause in the rules of these societies is of special interest...

...Government Takes a Hand NOT ONLY HAS the Minister of Agriculture taken a very definite stand on this subject but the government has also taken steps to improve conditions...

...The Government, too, has taken definite steps to improve conditions :—first, to favor the breeding of cattle in the country so that in the course of a relatively short time Supply will satisfy Demand...

...3. To furnish advice and judicial assistance to the establishments for the sale of cattle, to the cattle breeding and cattle selling cooperative societies, as well as to all the agricultural cooperative societies that devote themselves to these branches of industry...

...These bulletins are free...

...Account is also taken of the number and character of cattle breeding societies, cattle selling societies, and other agricultural cooperative societies and associations of specified kinds...

...They say in part: "The urgent need of organizing the sale of cattle in Austria has been felt for a succession of years...

...The Act specifically provides for the establishment of a central institution to supervise the sale of cattle...

...I wish to show briefly what the most progressive have decided to do about it...

...The population of Wisconsin as given out by the Census of 1910 is 2,333,860, while that of Austria at the last official Census is 26,150,708,—more than 11 times as much...

...The five millions remaining are to be used largely for the encouragement of cattle rearing, in the form of prizes for cattle breeding, assistance given in the purchase of forage, and various subsidies to meet the initial expenses of establishing fattening stations, arrangement for cooperative sale of cattle, etc...

...If we are not producing meat animals fast enough or if we have a very poor system of marketing these animals, the proper think to do is immediately to work out ways and means of increasing the production, improving the marketing methods or curtailng the consumption...

...5. To encourage the organization of slaughter houses, and the foundation of establishments for the sale of meat...

...The report just received from Austria points out that "The Viehverwertungsstelle has had very great success and has clearly shown the advantage of organization in selling cattle...

...Cutting Down Living Expenses What Austria is Doing to Cheapen the Price of Meat to the Advantage of Both Cattle Raiser and Consumer By JOHN LEE COULTER AT THE PRESENT TIME when consumers are crying out so loudly concerning the high price of meat it should be of interest to all concerned, both farmers and townspeople, to know what conditions exist in some other countries...

...Under an Act of the 30th of December, 1909, a special appropriation to continue annually from 1910 to 1918 provides six millions of crowns for the encouragement of cattle breeding, and for the organization of the sale of cattle...

...These societies deal only with the sale of live cattle, and ship to the great commercial centers only when they find it more profitable than to sell on the spot to butchers, hospitals, the military administrations, etc...

...This is why the Government has decided to abstain from applying to general services the profits of the customs dues on horned cattle and pigs imported into the countries of the Customs Union, and renounces its claim to these dues in favor of the classes of the population whose interests would be eventually injured by the importation of horned cattle and pigs...

...The report of the Hon...

...At the time of the last report, Austria was importing from one to two hundred thousand crowns worth of cattle more than she was exporting...

...In October of that year an establishment was instituted for the sale of butcher's meat on the central market of Vienna...

...I am not writing this merely to point out that people in other countries are confronted with this same problem...

...The success of the establishment at Vienna was so noticeable that similar markets have been started in Lemberg, Cracow, and Kla-genfurt...

...tria were very slow to take any action and the consumers only cried out loudly against the high prices, criticizing farmers, while the farmers laid the blame upon the transportation companies and the various classes of middlemen...

...The purpose of this movement was to assist all local cooperative societies, agricultural associations generally, and individual farmers, to market their meat supply under the most advantageous conditions and to eliminate as far as possible the intermediary agents...

...The Minister in continuing this order gives specific instructions that future shipments of cattle to this central market shall receive better treatment at the hands of the veterinary surgeons, entrusted with the vigilance service, and that all inopportune difficulties be eliminated...

...The profits of the said customs dues will be exclusively employed in the encouragement of the sale and export of cattle...

...For a succession of years the Government has been devoting its attention to the remedy of this evil, freely encouraging the establishments instituted by the farmers' organizations...

...The Act is a long one and provides in detail for granting loans and subsidies in proportion to the importance of the various central markets...

...As soon as it was recognized that it was impossible for a single individual, especially a small landed proprietor, to get due value for his cattle, the necessity was also recognized for agriculturists to unite for the advancement of cattle breeding and the encouragement of the sale of cattle...

...Wisconsin has approximately 2,000,000 cattle, while Austria has 9,500,000...

...In all local districts whence cattle were sent to the market the merchants began to pay the farmer higher prices, and in that way the middlemen profits were somewhat reduced...

...Little gain results from "crying over spilt milk...

...But although all these measures were crowned with a certain success, they could not, tor want of the necessary funds, give decisive results for the whole of Austrian agriculture...

...Central Market Proves Successful THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES of Aus...

...Organizations will now continue to grow...

...In this connection I will only refer all readers to the last report issued by our own Secretary of the Department of Agriculture at Washington...

...Why Help the Cattle Growers ? THE GOVERNMENT of Austria has carefully set forth in an explanatory memorandum annexed to the draft of the Act a detailed statement of the reasons why they provide for the establishment of this central organization...

...This ordinance contains regulations covering the establishment and the working of the organization...

...The public authorities are commencing to recognize the value of the movement...

...If we may quote from an Austrian paper and leave the responsi-bilty of the statement to the newspaper itself, we may refer to the Wiener landwirthschaft-liche Zeitung published on the sixth of last August...

...Experience has shown that societies without this clause have frequently failed...

...The Crisis in Austria GENERALLY SPEAKING, Austria is a more or less mountainous country where the rearing of cattle is carried on to a considerable extent, and yet the supply does not come up to the demands of the people...

...If, at that date, the urgent necessity was recognized of remedying the evil by the institution of a special organization, that is much more indispensible to-day,— the National agriculture having again to reckon with a more considerable importation of butcher's beasts...

...This difference represents the profit realized by the merchants, the middlemen, the wholesale and retail butchers, etc., to the detriment of the producer...

...The individual farmer is practically helpless...

...It might be noticed in this connection that some of our American states have established free employment bureaus to assist laborers and employers, and also that at least one state (New York) publishes lists of farms which are for sale, and assists in every way possible in bringing buyers to those who offer their farms for sale...

...Before stating in detail the exact situation in Austria, let us first make note that the area of Austria is about 74,130,000 acres, while that of Wiscorisin, for example, is 21,012,000,—only 31/2 times as great...

...LOCAL SOCIETIES: During the last three years large numbers of local societies have been organized for the sale of cattle...

...Idea is Extended THE SUCCESS of the organization in providing for the sale of meat animals was so great that its operations have been extended to trade in breeding cattle and milk cows...

...During the last ten years Austria has been passing through a crisis on account of a lapid rise in the price of butcher's meat...

...GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE: The government of Austria has taken a very great interest in these central markets established by the Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Societies, and in July, 1910, the Minister of Agriculture addressed an official order to the Provincial Lieutenancies and Regencies of Vienna, Innsbruck, Linz, Gratz, Prague, Brunn, Salzburg, Klag-furt, Laibach, Troppau, and Czernowicz...

...A report from Austria, just received, contains the following statement: "As to the organization of the market it does not, generally speaking, correspond to the interests of the agriculturists...

...In order that this problem may secure the attention which it deserves I will present as briefly as possible the situation as it exists at the present time in Austria...

...Austria Encourages Cooperation IT IS CLEAR from all of the above that the Government intends first to make cattle raising profitable for the farmers...

...The information which is secured is published in bulletins which are sent regularly to all interested...

...This is to be instituted by the order of the Ministry of Agriculture...

...Thus, while the population of Austria is more than 11 times as great as that of Wisconsin, the number of cattle in Austria is less than 5 times greater...

...For a long time agriculturists have not been in a position to sell the cattle they produce for the market, at a profit, although the price of butcher's meat has been constantly rising...

...This market has been most powerful as a regulator of the market prices...