Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-12
TO CATTLEMEN.
An Address from Col. W. L. Black to the
Cattleraisers of the State,
In Which He Shows the Importance of thsscon-
ventiOn to be Held in Fort wOrth-A Lie
Stock Exchange in Fort Worth.
Pom McKAv1rr. To-. Julv s. 1s8q.

1
Fort McKAvIrr. TEX. July s, 1889.
To the Cattle Producers in Texas.
AT convention of cattle owners he's
] in San Angelo on the 1st of June it
was resolved to confer with the several
cattle associations in Texas and endeav-
or to have a state convention called at
Fort Worth to consider certain features
connected with our industry that call
for the very closest investigation.
have been delegated to lay the mat
ter before you, which l shall try to do
| as clearly as [ can.
Statistical information is perhaps one
| of the most important elements to be
considered, and is the hinge on which
| the whole matter of success hangs. 1t
/ leads to the formation of confidence and
Etb1s, we all know, must be established
/ before any one will invest their dollars
| and cents that we are so sadly in need of.
Is it not best, then. to examine closely
| into our affairs and see exactly where we
| stand instead of cropping in the dark and
waiting for some turn in the market?
! We can make this turn ourselves by
simply taking count of stock and proving
so capitalists what the supply of our
Fproduct is, and what the demand for
7 it is.
TO illustrate my meaning: Suppose we
ascertain that there are only 200 900
! yearling steers III thetstate, and the de-
mand will require every one of them.
Is it not likely that some strong syndicate
| of capitalists will combine to control as
many of them rs possible, the same as
is done in wheat, cotton, coffee and
of Ts M inst 70
puy ''yearling steers , by contract as it
is either of the articles mentioned? We
! could soon have some one like cold
Hutch' engaged in our business if we
! only open the avenue for him to come;
! but if we keep him and ourselves fin the
! dark , we cannot expect any one to risk
their money in our business, and we will
| be left to the tender mercies of the Big
| 80 until we do.
There are many things to be considered
| in our occupation that can only be reached
by the combined action of all concerned.
The matter of hides and other by
products of cattle is very important and
| ought to be looked INTO very carefully.
The value of this product has been de-
clining steadily since hides were placed
on the free list in 1873, and yet we are
paying practically the same price for our
were paid 200 per cent. more for our
hide product. This is an injustice that
should be stopped, and we are the proper
ones to stop it by proper appeal to CONF
| gress. 1t is just as essential for the ca6-
tleman to have tariff ON hides as it is for
the sheepman to have tariff on woot6a
| Some of you may be opposed 20
the principle, and are willing to suffer
rather than demand protection, but peri
nit me to say it is the only remedy for our.
trouble and unless we get tariff to keen
out the surplus hides from foreign cod -
tries our product will continue to be'
valueless. What do you suppose tse
condition of our cattle market would BE
If South America and Mexico were to
ship 10, 000 head of cattle daily TO Chi
cago, with ourselves? Yet that is what
they are dong in the hide trade, and be-
cause we do not see it we feel the effect
of the glutted market in hides just
as effectually as we would if they
were TO ship 10, 200 head of cattle
lslh competition with our own shipments.
Eve are capable of producing all the cat
/ tie and hides that our country need and
1 claim that we should be protected in
our right to sell them free from foreign
competition. There is certainly compea e
tition enough among ourselves to satisfy
most anyone, and l would prefer to be
relieved of my friends in China, India,
South America and Australia who are
bscrowding our hide market with their
/ daily shipments. Let them sell their
hides at home. We have enough, and
more than enough, to fill all legitimate
demands in the United States
without their assistance Sup
pose Canada were permitted to sell
wheat on the Chicago board of trade, onS'
ansequal footing with Illinois farmers
(which they certainly would do were d
not for the zoe per bushel protection
afforded American farmers) would IL
not add that much more to the supplE&l
and make it more difficult for our farm4A
ers to sell their crops? We are certainly
capable of producing all the wheat thst
is needed, and we want to sell as much
of our surplus as possible to for eign
markets, but if it were not for the tariff
of zoe per bushel you would find all the
surplus wheat of Russia, India ands
other countries pouring into our country
and demoraliZing values in wheat Just
the same as is being done now III the
hide trade. ~
Let us get together, gentlemen, 1a
discuss this matter from a busfsesE
standpoint; and 1 respectfully asl5alf
the presidents of various cattle assod5aS
tons throughout our state to unite ina
cell for state convention to be held =
say November next, at Fort WoE
Colorado viii doubtless take part in
such movement, If once started Sand
by the combined action of the growers in
the two states 1 am quite sure we will be
able to find ways and means TO restore
confidence in our sadly demoralized in
dustry. Very respectfully,
w. L. BLACK.
P. S.-My suggestion as to a syndicate
Of capitalists getting control of yearling
steers might imply that they would have
to purchase the whole 200 200; but this is
not necessary, nor is it ever practiced in
wheat or cotton. If syndicate were to
purchase say, so ,00O head or enough to
justify them in making tbs deal, :"
they would practically control prices,
and every owner of the remaining 150 900
head would be governed by the manipu-
lafSons of the syndicate-the same as is
cannon in wheat or cotton deals. All