Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-16
FARMERS GROW AGGRESSIVE
Burt County Institute the Occasion for an
Interesting Discussion.
RATES ON LIVE STOCK NOT SATISFACTORY
Shippers Determined 10 Return 10
Primitive Methods of Trnnspor-
tntion Unless the Railroads
Grant Some Concessions.


There was a brief discussion over the Feed
ing of Cattle" during the past few years,
and general agreement that 1t
was not profitable branch of
farming industry. Bee Keeping" was dis
cussed, and those who keep bees say that
they find It both profitable and interesting.
There was a great deal of interest taken
in this branch.
ID. p. Ashbury, secretary of the National
Dairy congress, was present, and delivered a
lecture on 'Dairying from Scientific Stand
point" He had milk test and showed the
faimers its practical workings and how 1t
would benefit them in wedding out the un-
profitable cows, thus saving the farmer
both feed and labor in caring for useless
animals. He gave them long discourse
on the relative value of feeds for dairy
animals. He endeavored to persuade the
farmer that the introduction Of scientific
principles and mental study into farm work
would interest the young and have ten
dercy to keep the young folks on the farm.
Last evening f. A. Barnes, president of
the State Agricultural society, present
and directed a few remarks to the proposed
plans OF the state board tor the coming
fair. He also explained the delay of the
championship medal due Burt county for
winning the state prize three successive
years In display of agricultural products.
After explaining matters regarding the fair
he read brlaf paper, setting forth the adj
vartages of farm life and its bearing upon
the business of the world. Mr.. Barnes was
greeted by large audience, and his re-
marks were well received
PARENTS TO BLAME.
This morning the institute opened with
discussion upon the intellectual and Social
Conditions of Farmers Families" 1t was
well discussed by our leading farmers and it
was agreed that the parents were to blame If
the intellectual condition Of their families
was below that of families raised in the
cities 1t was agreed that in the country
schools n better practical education could be
secured and better moral surroundings
than in the cities, If the proper talent were
secured to teach school, The receipt of
abundance of coed literature and daily papers
was thought to be one Of the greatest as
slstances in making the farmers home
pleasant and elevating the intellectual sphere
OF the young.
the county, read paper on the practcaoility
Of driving cattle to and from the South
Omaha market instead of shipping. He gave
figures comparing the cost of ship
ping stock cattle and driving them
and showed that by the latter
method saving Of from two-thrds to
three fourths could be made on every bunch
of hundred head, and that on single
carload a saving Of one-half could be made
AS to driving fat cattle, he had never ex-
perimented, but he outlined the policy by
which the stockmen propose to drive the fat
cattle, as well as the stockers. His remarks
met with favor and were followed by a read
ing of the preamble and resolutions" drawn
up by committee of the Cattle Driving as
sociation, setting forth the objects of their
organization. The resolution are as follows:
WANT BETTER RATES
"On January 1, 1896, the Omaha, together
with other railroads Of the state, adopted
the weighing system in making their tariff
rates for the transportation of live stock.
BY so doing they have increased the charges
on fat cattle from 25 to 40 per cent from
points in Burt county to the South Omaha
markets. We, the undersigned cattle feeders
and shippers, have always considered the
load tariff charges exorbitant, and have time
and again asked the managers Of our railroad
for lower rates, but without avail. Our
representative in the state legislature has
tain for us Just and equitable
rates. established by law. and yet,
after succeeding there, the powerful
hand Of the corporations made itself felt in
the courts and the law was declared un-
constitutional, thus leaving us without any
redress
while IL is true that in this state we
have railroad commissioners constituted to
look after the interests of the shipper, their
actions prove that their principal business
10 to look after the interests of the railroads,
and there Is no chance to get relief there
from this additional burden, as the matter
has already been passed upon by the secre-
tary of said board, j. r. Sutherland, as will
was published in the daily papers of Feb
ruary s. wherein the secretary protects the
railroad company, and while he we'll knows
that the average carload of cattle as shipped
Is from 25, 900 to 10000 pounds as against
30 500 pounds, the minimum weight, upon
which his argument rs based and, therefore.
knowing that it will be useless to make any
farther appeal, either to the railroad COM
pany or the state. or the railroad commits
sion, we. the undersigned, have determined
and do hereby pledge ourselves that we
will from this time forward ship no more cat
tie either to or from the South Omaha mar
kets, but will proceed at once to select the
most feasible route and to arrange good
and suitable yards where water and feed
will be furnished at reasonable rates, and
will drive all our fat cattle to the market, as
well as all our feeders from there. believing
that by so doing, we can put our cattle on
the market in better condition and with less
shrinkage and at less than one-half the
present expense. We hereby cordially invite
the cattle feeders in Washington, Cunning
and Thurston counties to unite with us in
this movement"
WOULD BOYCOTT OMAHA.
Upon motion 1t was thought advisable in
case there any discrimination at South
Omaha against cattle driven to market that
all cattle should be shipped to Chicago in
stead OF South Omaha.
In the afternoon a long string of figures
was introduced by G. w. Harvey OF Omaha as
10 the traffic and value OF the poultry product
OF tnlS Stute anu tHe tHittu otdtes. iie was
followed by Mr.. Whitcomb, who gave an
excellent address on bee culture, OF which he
Is a good authority.
Secretary Sutherland, to whom the above
resolution refers, and who resides In this
city, was present at the institute this after
noon, and his attention being called TO the
matter. he said in an interview with The
Bee correspondent, "The COMMITTEES drafting
the resolutions were in error regarding my
reply to Governor Holcomb, as contained
In The Bee OF February s, to which they make
reference. 1t was confined exclusively to
comparison of the new and old rates be-
tween those given points, and was simply
reply to the merits of the representations
contained In a communication from a stock
shipper In Custer county. The board has
not passed on the reasonableness of the new
rate, neither have they had complaint
filed with them touching this point"
A. B. Fuller OF Decatur reported that
Decatur sends greetings to the Cattle Ship
pers' association, and is willing to join In
with them in driving all stock destined for
South Omaha markets and invite all ship
ments destined for Chicago to be driven to
Onawa via Decatur and they will make all