The Advocate and news., 1898-07-20
STATE STOCK YARDS.


and butter depends on their keeping in
favor with the buyers, otherwise the
stock shipped to them is entirely ig-
nOred. Theoretically the shipper has
the privilege of selling his own stock.
Nothing exists to prevent him from so
doing but the fact that buyers will not
even look at his stock, much less buy It..
He therefore is compelled to pay a tax
of so cents per head to the commission
dealer. The buyer having the absolute
control over the business Of the commits
sion man has him completely under
control and the unfortunate shipper Is
helpless. There are many other ways in
which the power thus obtained is exer-
cised but the above will be sufficient to
give you an idea Of the causes Of COM
plant"
"Mr Munger, what is your idea con-
cerning the remedy for this condition."
Public markets, owned by state, king
dom, city, county, empire or municipal
ity have existed for untold ages and are
to-day in operation all over the world.
Probably there is not in existence any
where but in the United States mar
kets that are operated for personal profit
as are the markets of this part Of the
country to-day. That is to say, the ex-
listing condition is an innovation on all
previous practice and the idea Of public
markets is as old as history. | refer you
especially in this connection to the fact
that the cities of London and Liverpool
have their public markets for the sale
of cattle and live stock and that butch
ers do actually buy there in any desired
quantity. am told by gentleman who
has had large experience in shipping to
those markets that such is the case, and
he added that Armour made an effort to
get the privilege Of establishing mar
ket on the plan of the Kansas City yards
but failed in the attempt.
with this historical fact before us
it is not difficult to understand that a
remedy exists in the application Of the
old-time principle and it now becomes
the duty Of the State to protect the in
terests of It's citizens by establishing its
own yards and market and following
that up by such system Of regulation
that combinations of buyers may not
control or regulate prices. 1t Is an in
trinsic right Of every man to buy in the
cheapest market and sell in the dearest.
No man can deny that proposition.
1.-The details of how to successfully
equip and operate such public market
seems to bother many people friendly
to the general proposition.
First, as to cost, they are appalled,
at the idea of the State undertaking to
duplicate the Kansas City yards. No
such idea has been advanced. The Kan
sas City company has large amount of
landed and other property that is not
! at all essential to the purposes named.
It is no part of the idea to duplicate
what they have only so far as is nee
essary to make market. 1t is not es-
sential that a building for Office pur-
poses be provided, for those men who
need such building will find it for
themselves. No stOrehouses for hay and
feed are essential as dealers will gladly
provide those for their own use. No
hotels are necessary nor vacant lands
nor bonuses to packers nor many other
! properties that are now owned and used.
All that is needed is yards, tracks, scales
and yardmaster's Office rooms. Moth
ing more.
THE locality is questioned. When, a
few years ago the heavy packers at Chi
cago were disgruntled because the Stock
Yards Company would not let them in,
they went to work to establish new
yards and in the prosecution Of that
plan bought several thousand acres OF
land at Tolleston, about twenty miles
east of Chicago, and proceeded to per-
feet the plans, with the result Of bring
ing the company to terms, when their
plan was abandoned. This Is plain evi-
dence of the correctness Of my conten-
tion that locality makes but little differ
ence. To suggest to your mind my idea
| ask, how can packers pack without
material to pack? How can they buy
their stock where there is none for sale
What is essential is to have shippers
send their stock to the new yards and
1