The Saint Paul globe., 1905-04-16
HOUSE is SATISFIED
WITH STOCK YARDS
Special Committee Appointed
to investigate Rejects
All Charges

Inc SOuIn SI. HduI SlOck ydIuS arr
given series of high compliments by
the report of the special house commit
tee, of which Representative John Lam
deem of Douglas county was chairman.
Charges had been made that yardage
charges at the South st. Paul plant
were excessive, that the prices exacted
for feed were eXorbitant, that the feed
was of an inferior quality and that the
yards and pens were unsanitary. The
committee finds none of the charges
sustained by a careful inquiry, and re-
ports its conclusions in a comprehen-
SiVe report to the house. The report
was read in detail yesterday and adopt
ed by a unanimous vote of the house.
1t follows:
Your committee appointed under res
olution presented by Representative Lam
deen mas made a thorough investigation
of the charges upon which that resolu-
,tion was based. The charges referred to
were made by shippers of cattle. A ma
jority of the complaining parties are resi-
dents of Minnesota. The allegations came
before the committee in the shape of
written statements, the parties making
the complaints indicating a willingness
to make oath as to the correctness. These
were the charges:
First-That the yardage fees are eX-
ceSsiVe.
Second-That the prices charged for
feed are excessive.
Third-That there was shortage Of
weight of hay and corn purchased as feed
Fourth-That in many instances the
feed, and particularly the hay, was of in
ferior quality.
Fifth-That the yards and pens were
unclean and unSanitary.
Your committee found the yardage
charges to be as follows: Cattle, 20 cents;
calves, 10 cents; hogs, cents; sheep,
cents; horses, % cents; colts, Is cents.
These yardage charges are practically the
same those in operation at stock yards
at Chicago. South Omaha, Kansas City,
St. Louis, Sioux City and elsewhere. The
only respect wherein the yardage fees at
the South ST. Paul stock yards are higher
than at the other points named is as to
calves, the more general yardage being
10 cents.
For these yardage charges the company
renders the following service:
l.. 1t guarantees or pays the freight on
stock on arrival, and before the stock has
been sold, thus enabling the owner to
get possession and control.
.. The company provides scale houses
and weigh masters. and performs the
work of weighing the animals singly or
by the carload, according to the terms of
sale, and deliver the stock on the order of
the seller to the buyer, furnishing both
buyer and seller with duplicate certificates
of weights and makes a book record of
the same
8. The company stands guarantor of
correct weights as between buyer and
seller, and makes good any losses by rea-
son of mistakes in weighing or in issuing
weight certificates or in counting and de-
nVering animals from seller to buyer.
4. The company is liable for any loss
of animals or injury to animals while
In its charge, or for delivery of the same
without the owners written release. or
for accidentally mixing with the stock of
others in driving, handling. loading or
unloading the same. or in any mistakes in
billing or rebilling for shipment.
The prices charged for feed are: Hay,
81. The hay is of good fair quality, up
land prairie the same having been bail
ed last December, and therefore liable to
something of a shrinkage. The commit
tee caused to be weighed two wagon loads
of hay, as il happened to be en- route to
the stock pens. One load was ten pounds
short, while the second happened to be
overweight to the extent of forty pounds.
These prices appear at first thought to
be unreasonable, but it should be remem-
bered that the principal and practically
the only source of revenue of the COM
pany, whose plant represents an outlay of
several million dollars, is from yardage
and sale of feed. 1t seems but reasonable
to take into account the many other fea-
lures of the service at the yard for which
no charge is made. Among these are the
following:
FirstSThe receiving, counting and book
entry in the yardmaSter'S record of stock
upon arrival, and the entry of the same
on the books of the company at its gen
eral office.
Second-Driving of stock from the un-
loading chutes to the pens in the yards
assigned by the yardmaster, and a book
entry thereof in the general office, Civ
ing the number of animals and the num-
ber of block and pen where the animals
are located.
Third-The unlimited amount of water
furnished by steam and conducted by
FifthSThe cost of storage, insurance.
taxes and second handling of hay and
corn in feeding.
Sixth-Repairs to equipment, managers,
water troughs and water fixtures, with
wear and tear on yards, pavements ana
gates.
notwithstanding pens after stock is
sold and removed, the manure being
hauled from one-quarter to one-half mile
to the dump.
Eighth-A proportionate amount of the
general expenses at the yards, including
interest on bonded debt. taxes, insurance,
depreciation of property, operating eX-
penses, which amount in the aggregate
to $1S342 monthly, or a little more than
$500 per day.
about 150 acres of ground, which is in
closed and subdivided into about 500
yards and pens, revealed a condition
wholly unlike that described by shippers
upon whose complaints this inquiry was
made. There is shed and barn capacity
for housing and fattening at one time
125,00O sheep, there is a daily capacity
for handling and storing 5000 cattle 10,-
600 hogs, 10000 sheep and 1000 horses.
More than half of the yard space is
paved with vitrified brick During the
Spring. summer and autumn the pens
are cleaned almost Immediately after be-
ing emptied of stock. Then with a good
force of water are flushed. During the
cold weather it is not likely the condi-
tions are as favorable so far as cleanliness
are concerned. The company maintains
a system of sewerage and electric light
and also as far the committee could
determine, after comforting with stock men
and employees, who are familiar with the
conditions prevailing in other stock yards,
the system is modern throughout
According to the companys books the
gross income for the year 1904 was $780,