Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-02-04
WAR ON STOCK YARDS.


P0pullst State Committee OF Kansas Ad'
dresses Members Of the Leg lsisture.
TOPEKA, Kan, Jan. 2S.-The populist
state committee has issued lengthy
manifesto to the populist majority G
both branches Of the legislature, de
manding legislation against the Kan
sas City Stock Yards Co. and the Kan
sas City Live Stock exchange. ltisad-
dressed ITO the Populist Majority in
the Senate and the House OF Represen-
tatives,' and begins:
I'm view of the fact that there is a
general demand for relief from the ex-
cessive charges OF the Kansas City stock
yards, and the further fact that
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, show
ing an estimate Of the business trans
acted at the Kansas City stock yards
and the excessive profits received
therefrom." Here follows some calcu-
lations based on the last annual report
Of the stock yards company, going to
show the profits Of that concern for a
single year. The recapitulation is
given below:
Revenue for loading and unloading
cars, s7e,sOs; profit from feed, sl7l,S9l;
yardage, cattle, 25c per head, &9S,eSS;
yardage, calves, 1Oc per head, slO,Ol6;
yardage, hogs, Sc per head, SsOs,44
yardage, sheep, &c per head, S49,e56;
commissions from horses and mules,
800, 900; feed at horse and mule mar
ket, $e5, 800; rentals from Exchange
building 1886, 900; total revenue received,
81, 1877, s45; deducting 30 per cent. ex-
penses, sS4l, 1888; net profit, S79e,56l.
The manifesto concludes: "We be-
lieve that the stock raisers OF Kansas
should have some relief from the ex-
cessive rates charged by this stock
yards company, and that these enor-
nous profits should be cut down, in
these times Of low prices, when corn is
selling at II to IS cents per bushel by the
carload and is drug on the market
in the country and rotting on the
ground because the farmer Is not able
to buy the material for cribs to protect
1t. These same farmers, when shipping
their cattle and hogs to Kansas City,
are required to pay 81 per bushel for
the corn, and 81 per hundred for hay
which their stock consumes while in
the yards"
Concerning the stock exchange, it
says:
1.-THE association now numbers about
300, and the fees for membership, which
we're first placed at $40, have been
raised to ss,5oO, which makes them
practically prohibitive, shuts out COM
petition, limits the number Of commits
sion firms, and compels the stock
raising public to do business with the
members Of the trust. BY reason
Of the red tape used and the cast iron
rules adopted by this association, the
yards are no longer an open market,
and shippers are no longer able to do
business, except through the medium
Of the members Of this trust
ITO correct these evils, we would
suggest that the legislature Of the
state of Kansas enact q law to help the
farmers and shippers OF stock to this
market, which can be done.
"First-We believe the state should
appoint an inspector Of feed, to be sta
toned ut the Kansas City stock yards,
whose business should be to inspect
the quality Of hay, corn and oats and
the weight Of the same as fed to the
stock.
"Second-The yardage should be re-
duced at least half.
"Third-A law should be passed put
ting a stop to the wholesale robbery
which is now practiced in the mat
ter of buying dead stock. AT
the present time there is desic
eating and refining company which
is an otfshoot of the stock yards com
pany, which has a monopoly OF the
dead animal business in the yards
and no one else Is allowed a chance to
buy or take dead animals from th'
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