112 



The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 



Nation De- 

 mands More 

 Meat Produc- 

 tion. 



Beef Cattle and Hogs 



By George M. Rommel 



Chief, Animal Husbandry Division, United States 

 Department of Agriculture 



It seems to me that the question of meat production in the 

 South is one of the most important questions which the nation 

 has before it today. I will not burden you with a great many 

 tiresome statistics, but I want to point out a few of the high 

 lights of our meat trade at the present time. In the fiscal year 

 ending'June 30, 1914, we exported less than seven million pounds 

 of fresh beef. In the next fiscal year we exported over 170 mil- 

 lion pounds of fresh beef; and in the last fiscal year over 231 

 million pounds ; the value of our meat exports in these years grew 

 from 143 million dollars in 1914 to 266 million dollars in 1916. In 

 the fiscal year 1914 we imported a normal amount of wool — ^245 

 million pounds. In the fiscal year 1916 we imported 525 million 

 pounds. Furthermore, I am told, not officially, that the meat 

 ration of a soldier in the trenches in Europe is ten ounces per day. 

 There are something in the neighborhood of 25 million soldiers in 

 that section being fed better than they were ever fed before in their 

 lives. The United States is already planning to put an army of two 

 million men in the field, all of whom will be fed as well, if not 

 better, than the armies of the nations of Europe. This enormous 

 increase in our meat exports and in our wool imports has largely 

 been brought about by the demands of warfare, and I candidly say 

 to you, is there any problem which could more earnestly engage 

 our attention than the question of how to meet this demand with- 

 out starving the civilian population and allowing them to go with- 

 out proper food and clothing? 



Now, gentlemen, I come to the question of beef production, 

 and in approaching this question I wish to make/ my position 

 exactly clear so that what I will have to say will not be misun- 

 derstood. 



It seems to me that a great many of the speakers who have 

 been discussing the question of the utilization of these cut-over 

 lands have been thinking on too small a scale. I make that state- 

 ment in no spirit of criticism, but as a statement of fact. If 

 there is one thing, Mr. Chairman, for which this convention has 



