The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-11-01
SQUEEZING THE PRODUCER.

Advices from the east announce that
a;combination of middlemen proposes
to give another TURF to the screw with
which tribute is squeezed from produ.
GERS of livestock. The livestock com.
mission mems trust, otherwise known
as the National Live Stock Exchange,
has arrived at the conclusion that it
needs a little moreo of the cream of the
livestock industry, and Is making the
necessary arrangements to get 1t.
The livestock commission firms 10.
Gated at each of the large markets
have organization known as Live
Stock Exchanges, and these local
bodies work together through a cen
trail organization called the National
Live Stock Exchange. The members
of this organization recently proposed
y revision of the commission charges
for selling livestock, the more import
ant features OF the contemplated revis.
ion being an increased commission on
hogs and sheep. The charges upon
the latter for several years past have
been $50 % q load for ~single.deck car
loads, and $1,000 q load for double.
deck carloads, and 1t is proposed to
increase the commission 800 a load
In each case. Members Of the various
live stock exchanges voted upon the
proposition last week, and, as q mat.
ter of course, nearly all of them were
In favor Of 1t. The new charges are
designed to 90 into effect January l,
1906.
The student of livestock market af.
fairs, by referring to the record of an
nual business trans acted, will discov'
err that the commission firms rake-of
Is no small item. The six principa'
markets are Chicago, Kansas City
South Omaha, East st. Louis, South
St. Joseph and Sioux City. In thes'
six markets last year the total cattl,
receipts were s, 49,, 9S5 head, for sell
ing which the livestock commissio,
firms received over $4,000, 600. Tn,
total receipts of calves, upon which
commission of % cents per head i,
charged, are not given in the data a
hand, but the Chicago market alone
received about 26S 900 head.
These six markets also received Is,
1913 .25l head of hogs during the yea
1904, and the commission charges OF
these amounted to about g., 1000, 900
The proposed addition to the charge
on this class of stock means an in
crease of something like $500, 900
= year.
The receipts of sheep last year a
the six markets named above wer
8 ,773, 400 head, upon which the com
mission was about $500, 900. The pro
| posed new charges would add abou
$3.50. 900 to this total.
In round numbers, the shippers o
cattle, hogs and sheep make an an
nual payment Of about $1,000, 900 t.
livestock commission men for haudliu.
} their shipments in the markets, and i
is proposed by these middle men t
squeeze the producer to the extent O
nearly half u million dollars addition
al or the years business.
The excuse for this increase i,
charges is that commission men an,
their employees find living expense,
have increased the past few years, aut
they consequently need the money
This excuse will also work the Other
way-the producer also finds his ex
penses are growing, and would appre
ciate a reduction in the cost Of mark
citing his product.
If the commission men decide tc
! bleed the producer q little more. the