New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-22
CATTLE BROKERS' AND DROvERs.

as a class to be put down, there is en- anxiety to
snow Who and what they are. The truth is thai
they occupy exactly the same position in their
business as commission merchants or brokers in
the -four or cotton trade They are the agents of
the farmer who receive and sell his produce for
percentsge on the sales. Now, the persons who
composed that meeting and called themselves
Droyers, and their organs" say that cattle
brokers are q useless body Of men and ought to
be abolished, and then the drOverS could transact
their own business directly with the butcher-pro
vided be will pay cash, instead Of doing business
On credit.
When that blessed millennium arrves-when the
cash 81 stem is adopted, We shall advocate what
we have always advocated, the Adjustment OF sill
"middleuen" between the farmer and consumer.
But the fact is clear that the true middlsman is
the drover and not the broker. The former goes
through the country aud buys the farmers bull
locks Just as low as he can obtain them for the
purpose Of making money upon the transaction in
bringing them to market for sale. Hence 1t is an
object with him to find if possible farmers who do
not take THE TRIBUNE AID who are ignorant Of
the selling prices of cattle in the markets where
the droyer, CT more properly the Spectator, In
tends to make his sales. He is q speculator be-
cause be buys cbesp to sell dear. Of course he is
opposed to journal that tells the farmer just as
much as he knows himself about the probable
price that such cattle will bring in the city. or
course no will, as the TaDmany meeting did, de-
nounce aDy paper which, like THE TRIBUNE, has
vide circulation amorg the stock raisers, because
it's reports are opposed to his individual interest
Cattle buyers, cattle drovers, and cattle specu-
lators sIe synonymous terms. Cattle brokers are
commission merchants; and, like all other CON-
mission merchants, they sometimes buy such stock
as they handle, to sell on their own account, at
their own risk. They are then cattle spectators,
al d, like all other Spectators, sometimes make
and sometimes lose money. 1t is therefore just as
much their interest to have the market quoted
low as il is the interest of the drovers, since that
would enable them to buy low and sell high. The
charge sgainst TIE TRIBUNE is, that we are in
the interest Of the brokers, and always quote the
prices too high. The charge is not only false-it
is foolish. The truth is, that The TRIBUNE is
retber in the pay of the brokers nor the drovers
it is in the pay of the farmers. Its reports have
largely promoted their interests, and they know
it, AID subscribe for it accordingly. This is the
cause of no little jealousy among some of our
peiphbors, who eide with the small faction of
drovers that composed the Tammany meeting, in
their endsavors to destroy the popularity of our
reports Of the cattle market.
THE TRIBUNE YVES the first, and for years the
only paper that attempted to make full report Of
the IL arket, such as would be useful to the mass
of cattle rasers-such as they cannot well do with
out. The drover feels no such want, for he can
get telegrsphic dispatch, or private letter. The
farmer, on the other hard must have the report of
his psper. He cannot depend upon the word OF
the drovor, whenever it is bis interest to keep
back the truth. 1t Is his business to buy cattle,
OF to carly news. 1t is also his business to get
his cattle to market at small cost. Consequent
" he is opposed to all advance Of railroad charges
He is also opposed to the extOrtion as he calls it,
of the cattle broker
Now let us look at the business of this broker
and see whether he is more of a middleman than
the drover. The brokers reside in the city or its
vicinity and some of them, at least, will rank In
wealth and respectabiity with any other commits
zion merchants who have character to make or
lose If farmer is 80 disposed, instead OF selling
TO droyer at home he can send his cattle to
broker to tel here, without coming with them
himself In our report Of sales we have frequently
put down lot Of sixty or eighty bullocks as sold
by such or such broker, when we are told by
them that they never owned one of the droves
so reported. They are sometimes owned BY
dozen farmers, who send them, just as they do
their butter and poultry, to be sold The brokers
receive the cattle at the cars. pay freight, take
them in charge, make sales and send the owner an
account, usually paying the net proceeds less the
con mission and guaranty which, on an average, Is
about thee snd half per cent. At the last mar
ket, ole broker sold drove, ,ssed, fed and owned
BYE C. Gwy IN, q large farmer Of Madison County,
Ohio These cattle were sent Ii charge of
herdsnan, consigned to the broker, VIII is known
by the owner and trusted to make the ssle and
who probably sold them just as well as though
Mr. Gwynn had been present. The broker, having
tie necessary capital, can afford to sell to the
butchers on time and pay Mr. Gwynn his money,
less freight, charges and commission. This method
Mr.. GwyDn prefers to ceiling to drover, because
be understands the market as well as the drover,
who, if be bad brought the same drove here, would
also have put them into the hands Of broker to
sell. Indeed, we happen to know that one drover
sold through the same broker drove that ne
bought of Mr.. GwyDn's next neighbor. and that he
kimielf brought to the yards.
Such is the business Of a cattle broker, and such
Is their knowledge of the business that it is prob
able that If the cash system were put in operation