128 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



bination, which has formed a company with millions of dollars of capital, 

 and employed Murdo McKenzie, one of the most prominent cattlemen of 

 the west, as manager, and have purchased hundreds of thousands of acres 

 in Brazil, and are going in the ranching business on the American plan 

 in that country. Here we have a combination that it is worth our while 

 to analyze. Here are men with unlimited means, selecting the most promi- 

 nent leader among the western cattlemen to take charge of their company 

 as manager, and going into the ranching business in South America to 

 furnish cheaper meat for our citizens to eat, and to force the stockmen of 

 the corn belt to compete with this class of meat. Now, there will no doubt 

 be a move made in this present congress to take the duty off both dressed 

 meats and live cattle; if the farmers and stockmen permit such a bill to 

 be passed, then they must come in direct competition with this cheap meat 

 from these southern countries. Argentine has already broken into the 

 British markets with her dressed meats, and has become a strong competi- 

 tor for that trade. And our export trade in dressed meats has shown an 

 alarming decrease to those markets in the last few years. 



Now, what we want is to bestir ourselves and prepare for a determined 

 fight against any bill that would place cattle and dressed meats on the 

 free list. We must not only be able to go after our own senators and con- 

 gressmen, but we must also go after senators and congressmen from other 

 states, and show them the danger of such a procedure. Now, I think I have 

 said enough on this subject, but in order to confirm what I have said and 

 to impress you more deeply with the necessity for determined action in 

 order to protect your interests, I want to read to you at this time a letter 

 written by Judge Cowan, of Texas, on this subject. Judge Cowan has for 

 years represented the western and southwestern cattlemen as their at- 

 torney, and has especially looked after their interests in congress, and is, 

 without doubt, one of the best posted men we have on these questions, and 

 I consider his letter of great significance at this time. Here is what he 

 has to say: 



!iO important is the crisis confronting the cattle interests of the United 

 States by the proposals which will come before the next session of congress 

 to place meats, and probably cjittle, on the free list, and the proposal to 

 enter into a reciprocity treaty with Mexico, that I write this communication 

 to you to point out the danger, and to suggest that action be taken looking 

 to the enlisting of the stock raisers in every community in live stock produc- 

 ing states to command their representatives in congress. I am forced to the 

 conclusion that if it is not done, meats and cattle will go on the free list. 



The t-wo reasons which the Congressional Record shows that both demo- 

 cratic and republican senators and congressmen who voted for it gave for 

 free meats, and those defending free live stock from Canada in the Canadian 

 reciprocity treaty, were, first, that meats are too high to the consumer, and, 

 second, that it would curb the "packers' trust." 



There was another and more cogent reason which influenced some demo- 

 crats, which found expression in various forms, and that is that the tariff 

 affords protection, and they are opposed to that, even to incidental protec- 

 tion arising from a revenue tariff in case of food products and in case of 

 raw material. Adding together those who are influenced By the one reason 

 or the other, it is certain that a majority of the house, and possibly a ma- 

 jority of the senate, are today in favor of these enactments so inimical to 

 the cattle industry in particular. Unless by a campaign of education in 

 every community we can arouse the people to a sense of the danger, and 



