Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-04-11
The Cattle Question.

Chicago is the great cattle market OF
the country. 1t is the center of all the
industries appertainirg to that market.
Here are the great abattoirs Of the
| continent. Here beef is dressed, pork
is packed, provisions are made, meats
are timed. In the purlieus of tho
stock-yards spring up all the economies
of SO vast market Nothing is wasted
from horn to hoof. Bones, viscera,
bristles, tallow, blood, marrow, every
thing is utilized. There are glue facto-
ries, factories for rendering refuse into
fertilizers, factories for cleaning for
brush-makers the coarse hair OF hogs,
factories for making lard and butterine.
Sell live stock in Chicago and all, even
the minutest, of its value is taken into
consideration. Kill steer on the
plains where he has grazed and moth
ing of the carcass is utilized but the
hide and the beef. No glue is taken
from the hoofs, no phosphate from the
bones, no buttons from the horns. The
blood runs TO waste, the viscera is left
to faint the air while it rots.
This, then, is the market of the high
est price and the greatest economy.
Yet divers interests assail it. The
dressed-beef interest is attacked in va
riOu5 eastern states where Chicago
reaches the consumer with the pro-
duce of the western grazing plains.
The local grazer wants protection, but
as custom-house barriers can not be
erected between tho states resort is
had to the indirection whereby it is
proposed to prevent a market within
the state for all meat not inspected
therein on the hoof That is, the i'm
portation of dressed meat will be pre-
vented. These measures fail as they
ought. While Chicago is making this
market in the east the cattlemen of the
west are fancying that something preju-
dicial to their interests is going on in
the Chicago market. Like the farmer
of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York
crying for protection these westerners,
fancying themselves oppressed by some
combination or machinatiOn in the
Chicago market, which is really giving
the utmost value to their herds by util-
izing them to the last penny's worth,
are demanding that something be
done to enhance the price of their
cattle. Acting upon the Kansas legis-
lature they have secured a conference
between committees from the capitals
of various states to meet at st. Louis
and consider the question. st. Louis
is of all places the least desirable for
such Il conference. What can be seen
there of the practical operation of the
meat industries? What trustworthy
information is there attainabe of the
methods Of a great cattle mart? In
stead of aiding to u full understanding
of the subject matter the local interest
will lie in the direction not of suggest
ing a solution of any problem but of in
creasing its perplexities and of foment-
ing ill will against Chicago.
The commission cattlemen of Chicago
understand the whole subject matter.
They stand between the cattle-raisers
and the cattle-buyers. Their own, like
the interest Of the seller, is to obtain
the highest possible price. Their pro-
position at this juncture is wise. Let
the conference adjourn from st. Louis,
where nothing is to be learned relating
to the meat industry, to Chicago, where
everything may be disclosed just as it
is.
If the conference is wise it will accept
this invitation and take its knowledge
from the fountain source.-Chicago
Times