Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-02-18
KANSAS SHIPPERS NOT FIGHTING
COMsIIssION MEN.
AFTER THE STOCK YARDS ONLY.
COMMISSIONS HELD TO BE NONE TOO
HIGH AT PRESENT.
Many Confound the Stock Yards Com
pnny and the Live Stock Ex-
chanEe-Inferyiews With
LenvenwOrth Shippers
The Committees.

If the feeling of the stock shippers. Of
Leavenworth and vicinity can be taken as
an index of the general sentiment through
out the state of Kansas as to the commits
sion men of the Kansas City stock yards,
those gentlemen are most certainly held in
high esteem and there are no well founded
complaints and criticisms that can be laid
against them. On all sides they are spoken
of in the highest terms. the shippers here
abouts clearly drawing the line between
this fraternity and the stock yards COM
pany. The following interviews. had to-
day with well known shippers. are OF in
terest at this particular juncture:
Ex-State Senator John w. Hirst, who.
beside being an extensive shipper of cat
tie. bears the distinction of having been
elected the successor of Lucien Baker
in the Kansas senate. said: Those who
inaugurated the movements hostile to the
Kansas City stock yards have confounded
the Stock Yards Company with the COM
mission men. believing them to be identi-
cal. / believe, if the shippers understood
the situation. they would have no COM
plant against the commission men. For
instance. let them eliminate the charges
that appear in their account sales, except
the actual brokerage, and they will con-
clude that the commission men are not
overpaid. The average commission man
is very sociable man and great entertain
er and have known of instances where a
broker has expended his entire brokerage
in taking care of the shippers interests
Il believe that the commission men will
continue to fight for this proposed iegisla-
tion movement in favor OF the shippers as
not know a broker who has not expressed
himself as believing the present Stock
IA Yards company's charges to be excessive.
the restoration of the old freight rates and
a reduction of stock yard charges. they
certainly have no complaint against the
brokers' charges
Ex-United States Senator Caldwell: II
can see no reason whatever for any ship
per to complain against the commission
men or stock yards brokers of Kansas
City. Their charges are lot at all out of
the way; they are. in fact. very reasonable.
complaint but all of my dealings have
been in the highest degree satisfactory.
u There may be excessive charges on the
not find fault with the charges and treat
ment received at the hands of the brokers'
John w. Spratley, who perhaps is con-
Eected with the heaviest consignments of
stock to the, Kansas City yards from this
treated fairly and squarely by the commits
sion men of Kansas City, and always found
dealings. They Sell the stuff in the interest
of the shippers, and their charges are. not
out of the way. They furnish many ac-
these favors. of course. come out of their
profits. They furnish market quotations,
tsey a fhas Is sp bins
their expense accounts would be greatly
curtailed.
attempting TO interfere with the commits
sion men. They have a superb organiza-
tion and a shipper is absolutely certain of
getting his money. This organization Is
for the purpose of guaranteeing security
to the shippers. 1 believe if the thing was
cut loose. free for all, Decentralization
ply and the shippers would suffer and
have no protection. 1 am willing to Ray
the commission mans charges and think
them none too heavy"
u. n. BarneS-'I have never believed the
commission mems charges anything out of
the way until read some of the evidence
adduced before the legislative committee
Any system, custom or regulation that re-
quires the expenditure of 50 or 80 per cent
of the charges to retain the patronage OF
the customer Is entirely wrong. Naturally,
the brokers should and will stand by the
shippers against the stock yards COM
pany in this legislative investigation and
sion men to do is to break off from the
system of regular charges and do business
on their individual merits.
Colonel Jep Rice-"I can find no fault
with the commission men of the. stock
yards. Their service has been entirely sat
isfactory 10 me and their charges most
reasonable. ] have found them upright and
honorable in all their dealings.
1t is the general opinion of the shippers
here that anything the Kansas or Missouri
legislatures do to reduce the extortionate
charges of the Stock Yards Company will
improve the Kansas City market and give
Kansas City live stock business marked
impetus. and thus be of corresponding BEN
eft to the business interests of that city.
The general complaint and dissatisfaction
caused by the Stock Yards Company man
agement is causing many shippers to figure
on a way TO dispose of stock without being
sendbagged by the Boston concern. Some
of them, naturally enough. do not dis
tinguish between Kansas City and the
stock yards. and hold Kansas City guilty
of mistreating them. when. in fact. the
business men of Kansas City are simply
being imposed upon by the foreign corpora
tion.
There is a general demand for legisla-
tion to force the Stock Yards Company to
be decent in its charges. and should this
be brought about a great favor will have
been conferred on, the commercial interests