The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-29
POP COMMITTEES DEMANDS
Legislature Better go After the stock Yards
and be Quick About it.


Topeka. Kan, Jan. 2S.-The Populist
state central committee has issued a
manifesto to the Populist majority in
! the state legislature demanding legisla-
ton against the Kansas City Stock
| Yards company and the Kansas City
| Live stock exchange, to the end that the
farmers and stock raisers OF Kansas
| may be protected from what are termed
| the eSorbitant charges levied upon live
stock shipped to the Kansas City mar
ket. The Kansas City yards is organized
under the laws CT Kansas and the yards
are on the Kansas side of the state line.
Following IS the address in full:
To the Pcpulist majority in the senate
and house OF representatives:
Gentlemen: In view OF the fact that
| there is a general demand for relief from
the excessive charges of the Kansas City
| Stock yards and the further fact that a
strong lobby is now in Topeka for the
avowed purpose of preventing any stock
yards legislation, We desire to call your
attention to the following facts, showing
an estimate of the business transacted
at the Kansas City stock yards and the
| excessive profits received there from.
The twenty-sixth annual report of the
Stock Yards company for the year end
| ing December 81, 1896, shows that during
y
1854 cars of stock and that 40, oil cars
were re-shipped, making a total IF 49,
605 cars handled during the year. The
railroads paid the stock yards 80 cents
per car for loading and 80 cents per car
for unloading stock, which would make
the revenues of the company from this
source during the year $76.S02.50. 1t is
estimated by stockmen that 81 worth Of
feed per car was fed to this stock, which
I'll h.
When the fact is taken into considera-
ton that this feed is sold at the rate of
81 per bushel for corn and $40 per ton
for hay, it will be seen that fully 40 per
cent of this amount must be profit and
that the yards net, therefore, $ll0.390.
The report further shows that Is, 100
head of cattle were driven into the yards
and the same calculation would show
the further profit of about $4,000 on the
feed given to this lot.
In addition to these, there was receiv-
ed during the year as yardage % cents
a head on ,714,532 cattle, equally $42S,-
633; 100, 166 calves at 10 cents per head,
equaling S10,166; 2,605,575 hogs at cents
per head, equaling S20S. 446: 933.126 sheep
at cents per head, equaling s49,656.50.
The Stock Yards company also derives
large revenue from the rental of its
exchange building to commission men,
buyers, railroads and banks, which, at
the least estimate, amounts to $35, 600 per
year, which about pays the total cost of
the building. These figures show that
the income of the business last year was
over one million dollars. This does not
include the revenue from the horse and
mule market, as we have no way OF ar
irving at an estimate OF the profits from
that department, but from the matter
printed by the Stock Yards company
since the close of 1896. we would judge it
to be in the neighborhood of 100000.
The question may arise whether all of
this stuff is sold in Kansas City or not
This is answered by the Stock Yards
company themselves, who advertise that
over 90 per cent of the cattle received
were sold on the market, all Of the hogs
and nearly all Of the sheep. The ques-
ton now arises as to what are the ex-
penseS of the Stock Yards company for
handling this business. 1t is well
known fact that some time ago the
commission men became dissatisfied
with the way their stock was being
handled from the chutes TO the pens and
received permission TO do their own
loading and unloading. So that now very
little expense is made by the Stock
Yards company in handling stock be-
tween the cars and the scales. This has
enabled the Stock Yards company 20 re-
duce its force Of laborers in the yards 10
a very small number and a great share of
these are paid by the hour for the time
they work and get only a few hours
work in a day. in the morning when the
cattle are being unloaded or received.
Figuring the salary OF the officers.
who are expensive men. the clerical
force. the labor in the yards, the cost Of
water and other incidental expenses they
viii not exceed 80 per cent Of the earn
ings. which would leave the enormous
net profits Of about eight hundred thou
sand dollars for the year 1896. We re-
capitulate as follows:
RECAPITULATION.
Revenue for loading and IN
loading ears =. =. .........S 6.s02. 80
Profit from feed -. 1900. 1881 90
Yardage cattle % c per head 42S .633 90
Yardage. calves. 10c per head 100 g. so
Iardage, hogs, Sc per head e. 20S. i46 90
Sheep. sc per head -. $3.50. 1856 80
Commissions from horses
and mules ........... q. $4,000 %
Feed fed al horse and mule
market :. -. :. =. 80. $500 90
Rentals from exchange build
lES ---.-.---.. S9,pvrVV
Total revenues received ....s11S7. si5. 40
Deducting so per cent ex-
penSeS .............. 81 80 %