The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-03-20

rect with the producer, is forced in
such an uncertainty on expense, or in
panic to accept the offer of the hour
or at most oil the day, and when the
footings are made OF profit and loss
how many find themselves as losers?-
not alone losers, but ruined.
In speculations in the market for
beef stock it always happens that the
producer is the sufferer. The middle
men can easily handle the producer
hence he is the victim. Prices with
the consumer may be steady, but the
producer is played with and the
prices to him are raised or lowered to
suit the middle mans interest. The
producer can be forced to sell, but no
one can force the consumer to buy.
The middle men may by CO fusion run
down the prices to absolute ruin to
the producer, and then helplessness
and hopelessness in the face of long
continued combinations may force
them to sell, but they cannot ever
thus hold IN their power and terrorize
consumers. Hence they play on the
less powerful victims-the unfortun-
ate producer or those who have dealt
with them and in the nature of agents
for on their success depends the
success of the direct and active stock
raiser.
This condition of affairs is, in my
humble opinion, natural sequence
growing out of the abnormal central
ization of the cattle market, for which,
while the stock men are not directly
responsible, they are least culpable
for not having sooner noticed and
sooner suppressed.
We see, every day, cattle shipped to
market or sent at heavy expense on
foot, and returned over the same route
as dressed meat. If it be not fact
that the Identical carcasses are sent
back, we know there is nothing better
returned to our markets as dressed
meat from refrigerators.
For stock raisers to longer tolerate
this, would be as senseless as that coal
men should permit the produce of the
coal fields of the United States to be
shipped to St. Paul in Minnesota
there to be screened, assorted and dis
tributed to the consumers throughout
the United States.
In saying this much, l do not wish
it understood that am in sympathy
with those who make war on the
Armours, Swift, Morris and Others who
control canning and dressed meat es-
adjustments. These men are bene-
notwithstanding all profits they
have realized from their experiments
their skill and their enterprise.
They have demonstrated to a GER
tainty that refrigerated meat can be
shipped without injuring the quality
of the meat; but, on the contrary it
improves its quality; and the business
is remunerative-lessening the ex-
pense of marketing. This much /
say for the mere facts established as
to tie experiment. But, the control
of the market by middlemen and the
consumption of the same meats thus
and manipulated by the PEG
pie who live with the producers, is
what l condemn. 1 approve OF the
and their success but
that our beeves should be thus trans
formed in foreign manufactures, and
find place among our home consum
ers, is q thing l decry, and against
which | raise my voice. and will seek
for less ruinous policy. Such goods
could never be offered in our market
at prices to compete with our home
butchers, except at the sacrifice, yes,
even ruin of pr oducers whose stock has
gone through manufacturing estab-
lishments,-or at least the ruin of the
who have dealt with pro
ducers, and fallen victims to the rise
and fall of the foreign markets.
Let us consider some facts, bear
ing on the question of stock raising
in Texas, and see if we can find any
complete or even partial remedy for
some Of the difficulties and embarrass-
ments under which stock men labor,
and by which they are at present op.
pressed The population OF the United
States is assumpd in round numbers as
reaching, say GO,0O0000. Its area is
3 1925, 1904 square miles-including all
its possessions excepting Alaska.
Texas alone embraces 100000 square
miles, which is about one-fourteenth
of the entire territory OF the Union,
with population of 100000.
According to the best information
that we can gather there are 49,OG0,-
900 head of cattle in the United States.
to reports of assessors for
the wear 1889 we have 100000 head
of cattle in Texas.
1t will be seen from these data, that
we have onc-thirtieth OF the popula-
ton residing on one-iOurteenth OF the
territory Of the Union, and owning
one-seventh of all the cattle in the
United States of North America.
Shall Texas, with this vast interest
have but one market for her cattle?
Some may say that she has four mar
st Louis, Omaha and
Kansas Citv I insist. however, and