The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01
Stockmen Open Their COnven-
tiOn at Dodge City.
Large Crowd in Attendance at
First Days Session.
DISCUSS A BOYCOTT.
Packing Trust Is Given Much
Needed Attention.
The Address of l.. A. Allen Was
Well Received.

Dodge City,April 1.-The Cattlemen's
association Of the southwest held it's
first meeting in Glucks opera house
The meeting was called for 1920 o'clock
by G. NJ. Beeson, president. Two i'm
mense horns measuring eight feet, tip
to tip, were hung on one side of the
stage, while the other was hung with
a fine oil painting representing a steer
and painted by Mrs. c. NJ Beeson.
Several pictures representing the early
days of Dodge City were shown A
banner carried by the Cowboy band at
the first state fair at Topeka was dis
played. Some of those who are here
are: L. A. Allen of Kansas City, G. w.
Kelly of the Kansas Farmer, H. A.
Heath of the Kansas City Stock
Yards company and representatives of
the independent Packing company.
There are nearly 300 visiting CATTLE
men and some of the cowboys of this
vicinity are in attendance.
One of the features of the gathering
was the informal discussions outside
of the convention regarding the Fow-
Ter boycott by the Kansas City conf
mission men. An impression seemed
to prevail among many of the stock
men that the commission men wanted
to drive an independent yard out Of
existence and that the cattlemen need
ed as many different yards as they
could get. Friends of the Kansas City
stock yards gave their version of the
controversy.
A Kansas City commission man put
it this way:
1.-The Fowler company has private
yards and as soon as it begins getting
enough stuff it will buy nothing from
the Kansas City general yards. Hence
this buyer will be entirely removed
from the competitive field. The Fow-
Ter company is saving nothing to tile
farmer by its tactics, but is paying less
to the stockmen- The Fowler company
is under the huge expense of keeping
solicitors and buyers going through the
country and of keeping up separate
yards. This certainly costs more than
commissions and yardage at the gem
eral yards. If we sell to the Fowlers
what stuff they need now it will be
only that much competition at the
general yards for a few months until
they are getting all the stuff they need
at the private yards at their own price,
but If we drive the Fowler private
yards out they will have to buy every
thing in the general yards and that
will make competition better.
The Stock Yards company isn't in
this fight We handle the yard corn
pany Just as we do the packers when
ever we get a chance. This fight is
between packing trust on one side
and the shippers on the other, with
the commission men as agents for the
shippers.
The farmer who ships load of
stock to the Fowler private yards is
destroying his competitive market and
sinking the knife into his own back.
If Fowler succeeds what is to prevent
Armour, Swift and the others from es
tablishing private yards? Then what
would confront the farmer He would
have to ship to one of these packers
and there would be no bidding. The
commission mans business is to set
the highest possible amount of money
for his customers stock His trade de-
ponds upon this. If the Fowler yards
hH1r hrfr
sion men would be pleased and it
would help business here by hurting
the markets in other cities.
THE commission men are fighting the
battles of the farmer and feeder for
higher prices, and higher prices will
never come with private yards. The
boycott that is on against Fowler isn't
hurting the general yards, but it will
the Fowlers will have to buy all their
stock at the general yards and that
means another big packing house in the
field for all time, not for a Few months
while they are starting their own
throat-cut business. If the farmers
quit shipping to Fowler's and refuse to
listen to the sirens song, Fowler's pri-
vate on-competitive yards must shut
down. Fowler will then be forced to
come to the general yards and compete
or close down the Fowler plant The
Fowler plant is owned by the National
Packing company, the trusts holding
company. It is controlled by Armour,
Swift and Morris. To win against the
Fowler people is to win a fight against
the trust Farmers ought to know that
the trust isn't paying more money for
the benefit of the farmer. It costs more
to pay solicitors all over the country
and to keep up private yards than the
commissions and yardage at the gen
era1 yards. Now, then. we leave it to
the shipper to find the niger in the
woodpile.' "
The programme opened with music