Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-10-13

A, It has opened the eyes OF the peo-
pie of Kansas to the enormous profits
aCcrulnP to the capitalists on u 100000
Investment and has led to IN inyestl-
CATION as to the feasibility OF the State
owning It's own stock yards for the ac-
commodatlon of It's own people
q, Has not the action OF the PoDulist
party In passing this law driven the
stock yards company out OF this state
and into Missouri
A. Not for minute, Two-thlrds OF
the plant Is on the Kansas side OF the
line. The quarantine ground and the
sheen and hog divisions are on the Kan
sas Side. All sales OF hogs and sheep
and tho delivery OF such stock by raj!
roads are made In Kansas, and seven OF
the nine roads entering the yards are on
the Kansas side The company canno.
move out II II would, and the howl thai
the stock yards have been driven out
Of the State is simply raised to cast
dust In the eyes Of the voter,
q. But has the company not aban-
doncd It's Kansas organization and taken
out new charter under the laws OF Mis-
souri,?
A. Yes but what Of II? II the Kan
sas Legislature has Jurisdiction pJei n
corporation OF Its own creation II has
equal II not create. Jurisdiction over n
corporation In some other State seeking
to do business In Kansas, Kansas gets
Just IS much ,aXeA ab she ever did, and
MlssodrI no more. Kansas loses moth
ing w the organization and Missouri
gains nothing. The yards smell Just the
same, no matter what the name,
q. What Is meant by an open public
market"
A. II Is n place where any citizen has
the unrestricted right to 80 and buy or
sell
@. Is the Kansas City stock yards
such market?
A. Il ls not. The abuses that have
grown up around II make II impractical
bic for man to buy or sell his own
stun, and he must necessarily employ
the services Of broker,
a. What are the matters Of complaint
by stock shippers
A. They are numerous--some as fol-
lowa First, overcharges for yardage;
second, overcharges for feed; third, in
ability OF shippers to sell stock except
through brokers; fourth, n combination
among buyers that eifectually prevents
them from even looking at stock after
bid has been made and refused; fifth,
discipline enforced by the buyers upon
shippers who refuse Kansas City bids
and then ship to other markets.
q. What do you mean by discipline?
A. That shippers who Offer stock at
Kansas City and refuse the offered price
aud then ship 10 Chicago or st. Louis,
Gommonly ilnd the market for that par
- 4. = naa..-lI'f,
fdltion IL so common TINT nhaily hhippAfs
believe that such cases are prearranged
between the buyers OF the differerlt mar
kets.
O. In that case how can shipper ex-
pect those buyers to buy or even look at
my stock In State stock yardsY
A. That would be matter Of lndiffer-
ence to shipper, so long as competing
buyers were on hand wanting stock.
@, Where are those competing buyers
to come from, then?
A. Plenty OF men and money are anx-
lously awaiting any opportunity for
profitable business and will be on hand
at any market, public or private. Butch
ers by hundreds, and probably thou
sands, In the smaller cities Of the coun-
try are prevented from buying live stock
In open market by the same combination
Of buyers that so successfully controls
sellers.
Y. How can you prevent this combi-
nation from controlling the market at
the State stock yards?
| Nv oiVinU tho uhinnnr md hauap
direct access to each other, which can
be done by yard regulations.
O. Where do the butchers referred to
obtain their stock now?
\, They are forced by market tJndi-
tlons and unfair competition to buy
dressed meats of these same packers
who by combining have excluded them
from the principal stock markets. That
Is to say, these packers have success
fully interposed themselves between
buyer and seller to their own profit.
Q. Are there any examples OF an open
market in this country?
A, Yes; nearly every city has Its own
market house.
Q. Wherein would a stock yards mar
ket differ from these?
A, Only in the character OF the stuff
offered for sale.
q. What would be the advantages OF
such a market?
A. Assuming that the State could OPP
crate such n market as cheap as the
Kansas Stock Yards Company, the first
advantage would be an annual saving
Of the $646, 55S73 which the special mas
ter found was the profits of the Kansas
City company In 1896 after they had
paid all expenses, repaired their plant
, and contributed their share Of the State
taxes; second, another advantage would
, be that the shipper could 60 into the
, open market and buy his feed or bring
1t with him, az best suits his conven.
ience, thus making a saving on each
a shipment; third the great advantage
. would be the opening Of the market to
9 competitive buyers.
a q Would not the packing houses dis.
eliminate in price against stock sent t
a the State stock yards2
. A. II the packers would not patronizt
. the State yards, that would open a fnt
!. opportunity for others to compete will
| tIn,s ~ Gt,No IA.