The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-01-19

the Same business Is carried on by many.
Tire store keeper. for instance. can very
easily keep n record Of the quantity ana
character OF goods demanded by MS GUS
.tuers and the butcher can supply him
se'f daily with NJ many beeNes ss ne
cum mud ready sale for, but It Is not so
With many OF our trade occupations. The
manufacturers OF nearly all staple pro-
jucts have found II necessary to intro
duce "A system which they call trust
TO enable them to regulate the supply OF
their product to the demand from con-
stitnara. and the traders In cotton, wheat.
and nearly all other farm products as
wen as petroleum and iron. have been
compelled to do practically the same
hing in the form OF 'commercial poarus
Of trade" or exchanges Lhey an
recognize the fact that, inasmueh as the
law Of supply and demand governs the
saleab!e vniue OF an article 1t Is neces-
gary for them to learn what the exact
supnly and demand Is. OF the goods they
deal IN before they can market the same
lutclligenty.
The Industry which We have the honor
TO represent Is perhaps the most import
ant Of all a larger amount OF wealth Is
invested In II than any other and there Is
not n farmer IN the United States that
does not depend largely for his support
unon either raising or feeding live stock.
Indeed the only way large number OF
them can utilize their surplus grain vs. by
feeding cattle, sheep. or hogs for tho
hu,cher. II would seem. therefore that
our buslnAss, above all others should be
managed In such a way rs 70 Inform the
Rreat army OF producers. and dealers IN
live stock. Of the true condition OF their
affairs from day to day.
If IL is important to Keep record OF
| the supply OF cotton. which Is produced In
only nine of our States. how much more
Z "a
stock. which Is produced In nearly httyY
Under present conditions, as you all
| know. IL Is utterly impossible for us TO
| tell what the supply of live stock 49, ana
| II IL 10 this fact alone that attribute
| tho many failures that have ATTENDED an
| investment IN cattle In the past ten Or
twelve years. and the great want OF conll-
| dcnce that has generally been manifested
Nv cauital towards our business is an out
| growth OF this want OF system as we'll
| we have had periods OF great prosperity
| IL is true, but have not our periods OF
deprcssion been far more frequent and
lastine9 show me the man who invested
hls money In cattle during the boom Of
| iSsg-Nj that VIII not admit that he made
a great mlstalxel And do you think he
| would have made such a mistake II our
| husncss had boon conducted 30 that he
| could have been Informed or the enormous
| cverprcdustlon that existed at that timer
The absence Of this Information gentle
men. has cost us many millions OF dol
lars. and In my Judgment is costing us
many millions OF dollars today, because
believe II the true and correct hnowl-
edge of the present supply OF cattle IN
the United States was known We would he
paid 50 per cent more for our stock than
we are forced TO accept.
1t would be useless for me 10 attempt "a
prove this assertion. for there Is not a
man In the Sta.e OF Texas who can osti-
mate within 100000 head OF the available