Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-22
cattlemen Of the West Say the
Packers Are Invading
Their Field
WESTERN HERDS BOUGHT UP
Stock Raisers on the Ranges Arc Re-
firing From the Business Because Of
the Competition of the Trust, Which
Is Securing Control in tho Western
Cattle Breeding Section.

Chicago, Sept. 22.-Cattlemen of the
western cattle breeding section are be-
coming disheartened at the efforts OF
the packing combine to invade their
field and, according to reports from all
over the west, are selling off their stock
and retiring from the business. The
plan, recently set on foot, to organize q
cooperative stock company. with a
capital Of 50,000,0O0 for the purpose Of
fighting the packing house combine, has
been practically abandoned, as the cat
tlemen realize that even $50.00O,000 is
OTTO small a sum with which to oppose
the immense amount of invested capi-
tai represented in the trust.
Even the breeding cows are being
disposed of by the stock raisers as rap
idly as possible, and it is predicted that
within three months the country will
experience a beef famine that will be
more general and more serious than
the one it has just recovered from. The
rapid change that has just taken place
from practical famine to more than
plenty is accounted for by experts by
cattle into cash as rapidly as possible
with the intention Of giving up the bus
mess before the operations of the pack
ing combine compel them to do so.
st is true that western cattlemen are
alarmed over the future OF the industry,
and are selling off great many OF their
and are either selling off great many
of their cattle or going out Of the busi-
ness entirely" said NJ. G. Campbell. Mr.
Campbell is chairman Of the Kansas
live stock sanitary commission, and one
Of the largest individual cattle owners
in the west.
1.-THE outlook for the industry is
dark. The large receipts at the Kansas
City and Chicago stockyards recently
simply meant that the stockmen are gO-
ing out Of business and are reducing
their breeding herds as rapidly as pos
sible. Production is ceasing on the
ranges and next year the result will be
noticeable In the higher price Of veal.
The alarm among the cattlemen is
caused by the merger Of the big pack
ing houses.
''The cattlemen are simply preparing
for the struggle between them and the
packing house combine which is sure to
follow. "A large percentage of the
butcher stock now going to the packing
houses is cows. The commission men
are not saying anything about this, but
st is true. The cattlemen in all parts OF
the west realize that the .packing-house
merger will stifle competition and that
their business will be greatly crippled.
"The commission men all rushed into
oh VT 20 no II.
dent threatened to go after the packing
houses, and declared that the merger
would not injure the cattle industry.
They knew that it would, but. We're
seeking to protect themselves. The ac-
ton of the government threatened to
decrease the price Of corn-fed cattle
and a small depression would have
driven every big feeder in the west out
OF business. The commission men went
to the rescue of their customers. I be-.
lieve that as a result Of this cessation OF
production and the threatening combine
there will be such a shortage of cattle
within three months as to cause a cattle
famine.
1.-THE Natiortll Live Stock Associa-
ton has already served notice on the
packers that it will fight the combine,
and the fight promises to be interest,"
ing. 1t may result in the erection of in
dependent packing houses"
The cattle raisers of the west have
started an organization of their own
to oppose the so-cailed beef trust, and
they expect 1t to keep from the trust
the control Of the livestock market
Shares in the organization were sold to
cattle breeders for 81 each, and each
shareholder was entitled to as many
shares as he had head of cattle. Fifty
five per cent Of the stock was kept in
the treasury to prevent any movement
of the trust to secure possession Of the
controlling interest of the company
This organization, it is now understood,
hac fallen tn niaces