Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-19
LIVE STOCK MEN TALK SHOP.
GOvernOr-elect shallenberger one o.
PRINCIPAL

Principal Speakers.
The afternoon meeting Of the live stock
men began at 2 O'Clock in concert hall and
much disappointment was expressed over
the inability of Thomas B. Mcpherson to
be present and preside at the meeting as
had been announced. Mr.. Mcpherson was
snowbound in the west and it was impos-
sible for him to be on hand. His place was
filled by Jay Laverty of South Omaha,
who opened the proceedings with a felic-
itous address that put the meeting in the
best of humor as we'll as preparing it
for the feast of good things to follow.
The first speaker of the Afternoon was
the venerable David Rankin, ST., of Tarkio,
Mo-, who enjoys the distinction of being
the greatest individual farmer in the
United States. His farm, over which he
exercises personal supervision and which
he has personally conducted for nearly half
a century. comprises 5000 acres of the
finest land in Missouri. After a brief allu-
Sion to the profits and benefits OF general
farming as practiced by himself he went
into some detail regarding the development
of the live stock industry of Missouri as
based upon his own experience. He told
how he first began by trading in a small
way, thereby increasing his holdings to
their present dimensions, and how he had
improved on these by Intelligent selection
and breeding, which he held was the secret
Of successful farming and live stock rails
ing.
An interesting address followed by John
O'Hern superintendent Of Armour & CO.
of South Omaha, upon the subject Of The
Packing interests" Mr.. O'Hern said:
Importance of Packing Industry.
What the railroad is to the commercial
interests the packing house Is to the
farmer. 1t is the true center of gravity
in the agricultural system Of our great
country. The concentrating and welding of
processes into one continuous chain be-
tween the producers of the corn belt and
demand on the market for meat food
products beyond the vision Of any of our
ancestors.
Forty years ago no one ever dreamed
that fresh beef dressed in Omaha would
be sold in the European markets. in Africa,
China, Japan or the Philippines, and yet
the packing houses at South Omaha make
shipments of fresh meat and meat food
products daily and weekly to these mar
kcts.
1t can be truthfully said that the meat
and meat food products from our western
stock reaches every nation and country in
the world.
To slaughter and dress the animals for
market, to assert and manufacture the by
tribute all, an enormous organization is
necessary. Perhaps no commercial Ind IS
tries compare in magnitude. when you con.
slider the packing houses and by-product
industries. the branch houses and com
mercial representatives that are found In
every city in the United States and in
Without this large organization we would
have the country slaughter house. There
would not be a market every day to dis
pose of the stock as the farmer has 1t
ready for market. There would be an
oversupply at one time and a scarcity at
another. There would be an overproduc-
ton in one part of the country and a short
age in other parts.
A modern packing establishment may be
table foods are produced and handled in
many forms and with those are produced
the pharmaceutical field.
We eat the beef, pork and mutton. but
the byproducts continue to supply the
needs of mankind in hundreds OF ways for
years Afterwards.
The tanneries, the wool factories. soap
factories, butterine factories, fertilizers, re-
finers of lubricating and illuminating oils.
bone novelties, laboratory and medical sup
plies, manufacturers of musical and surgi-
cal strings, medicines and extracts are a
few OF the many industries utilizing the
packing house b~yproducts.
Food for Nature.
We supply nature with the food for the
soil. We supply manufacturers with raw
materials-wool, hides, oil, tallow. glue, etc.
Mechanics with the working materials, of
which case hardening bone, glycerine, oils
To art we supply musical strings, photo
graphic papers and other material. To
surgery, the surgical strings, ~bandages,
etc, and to medicine the numerous eX-
tracts, desslcated glands and pharmaceu T.
cal products. The value of the above
mentioned products varies in cost from II
cent per pound to $500 per ounce.
At this poitn a few words on government
inspection may not be out of place. The
government inspection as It is now being
I conducted in the packing establishments of
the country is very little understood and
appreciated by the general public. Many
maintain that this work is done in an indif-
ferent manner and that 1t is possible for a
diseased carcass to pass through the pack
but those understanding the thoroughness
of The inspection know this is impossible.
While the government inspection entails
considerable loss to the packers 1t is still
a safeguard and protection for the public
and helps establish confidence with the
people as to the quality of the products
turned out.
Prosperity in Stock Raising.
II we expect the meat industry to con-
tinue growing and II we even expect II to
hold its own We must look ahead. 1t can
no longer depend on the ranches. The
cattle barOns, as they were called, and
the ranges are fast disappearing and are
rapidly being replaced by the stock raiser
and the farmer.
The west is becoming more and more
each year. the source OF the nations food
supply and this applies more particularly
TO meats than to grain.
The continued prosperity of the west lies