Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-03-21
About Marketing HOG.

D iOtSNCi
About Marketing Hogs.
The farmer does not view with serene
satisfaction the result of feeding hogs
for the markets during the past few
months. II has not banned out" to his
entire satisfaction. and the prices real
lied for the time. labor and corn has
been altogether unsatisfactory. And
yet the feeder is not the only one who
has agonized over this problem. for in
late issue Of the National Live Stock
Reporter, edited by PHILIP II. Hale, the
constant friend of the stockman and
the special and faithful advocate of the
National stock yards at st. Louis, who
discussed the hog market with much
earnestness and righteousness. Mr..
Hale saws:
'"The convictson is forced upon the
writer that the low prices Of hogs is
due us much to the faulty distribution
of them on the markets as to any over
production. The railroads and the
shipper and the main packing inter-
ests, together with the largest commits
sion trade in the country, are all inter-
ested in the haul to Chicago, and few
choice hogs out Of the great supplies
selling above other markets attracts
shipments considerably beyond the ca
pacity of the market to dispose of them,
and although other markets may run
short of supplies the continued decline
in price, dictated by the Chicago mar
ket has an influence on buyers at
st. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha
and other acking centers, and
the result that scent hogs sell for 81
cents at all the markets. The large
production combined, with the faulty
distribution, keeps the prices down.
And right now while Illinois farmers
are suffering largely by reason Of Mis-.
souri,, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa hogs
being run in on their market in large
quantities, some Of their legislators are
busy trying to pass laws 80 as to induce
hog shippers from a wider extent Of
territory to ship TO the Chicago market
and reduce prices still further by the
concentration. 1t is not exactly the
intention but amounts to the same
thing. They are legislating to save q
few cents per head on yardage and COM
missions and, as the Chicago business
is the only one that can live at all on
reduced rates, the reater concentration
would result and with the same num-
bers OF stock in the country prices
would 60 lower. They might save a
few cents in charges and lose few dol
lars in prices. Men have been known
to ship hogs 1900 to Chicago when they
had better markets at home, and for the
sake OF few cents difference over home
markets which could not afford to
make reduction, the Chicago market
would be overstocked again and again.
It is to the interest of all stock raisers
that the Chicago market shall not be
overstocked. The legislature is trying,
innocently enough, 70 enable the pack
ers to steal all the hogs in the country,
including the hogs OF the farmers OF
Illinois. It is Ia the interest OF every
farmer in Illinois that the Chicago
stock yards dc n reduce charges below
the charges at other yards, and it
would be better il the charges were
higher. The big packers will get the
benefit Of any reduction. and the injury
will be felt by such markets as this, and
by the men who raise the hogs.
"Any man advancing statement
like the above ought to be in a position
to sustain it; and the past week furn-
ishes double example. Twice the
Chicago markets were glutted and on
both days other important markets
were short of supplies. Good judges
will sustain the writer in the assertion
that with q third Of the Chicago hogs
distributed between other markets all
supplies could have been sold without
q decline.
On Monday at Chicago there were
ON sale 81, 429 hogs; ut Kansas City,
4, 495 hogs; st. Louis, 1000 hogs. This
is not large supply, and II the ship
pers tributary to st. Louis. Kansas City
and Omaha had hot put their hogs on
the Chicago market hogs would have
been worth 10 cents per hundred
higher, and the country would have
received IS cents per head more money,
or sl7, $50 In one day, which was divided
up between the packers and the rail-
roads. Later In the week there was
another Chicago glut while the other
three markets had 70 take the decline
Chicago sacrifices the hogs The
second time there Was . larger run ct |
other markets, 80 that between heavy
supplies and mismanagemento Of supplies
the shippers suffer. Some dag . new
generation Of shippers win underStand
these things.-Kansas Farmer.