Why Beef Is High

Washington, April 18. - The officials of tlho dopartmenfc oL agrlculture are pursu ing their investigación iu the recent big rise in the prico of beef, and it ia more than likcly that they will havo somethiug üefinite to sny within the ncxt week wifch reference to the cause of tho mattor and the probable outeomo. Tho act ion of the Bepartment ín raising the embargo on Mexican oattle is expeeted to have the effect of keeping tUo prico of beef from going up hijrbur, even if it does not cause a decline. Dr. Salmón, chief of the bureau of animal industry, said that there was an undoubted seurcity in cattle in the west sufñcient to account in part for the lncreaso in the price of dressed beef. V. 'hut tho Dcpartuieut Wants to Knnw. "The only question," said he, "is whether this scarcity is snffleiont to acoount for it iltogether, or whethor the iew big men who control the beef market have nor, to a certain extont at least, nnVcipated the effects of this scarcity ; in ther word3 whether the effect has not come before the cause. What we are anxious to knovv is whethor the prico of oattle has gone up iu proportion to the price of beat'. Io is not any easy matter to settle, aDd our igents are meeting with Boine difficulty in getting at che facts in the matter, but the reports are beginning to comí! in." Cattle Have Beeu Gettiug t'-carcer. "For Eome time past," continuad Dr. Salmón, "cattle have been gotting soaroar and scarctr in the west and especlally in the Southwest. The condition of the grass has been so poor that cattle have well-nigh disappeared entirely. In southwestern Texas, for example, where there nsed to be tremendous lierds, there are praotically none today. There haa been a great improveinent in the grass this year in Texas and in other western states, bat the cattle are not there to tu-ke advantage of it. That is one reaSon that influonced the department in its decisión to raise the embargo on eattle from Mexico. The (uaiautine Againgt Mcxioo. "Mexican cattle have beun looked upon with disfavor for the reason that Texas fever is known toexist on the other side of the border, and a quarantine has beon kept upon them in tüe summer. The action of the packers in raiaing the prico of beef to such an extent resulted in the department raising the embargo. The department has increased its iorce of inspectora, and all incoming cattle will be rigidly examined. ïurche.more, the Mexioan cattle seem to be in an unusually good condition this year."