Milford chronicle., 1910-02-04
COLLISION IN
BUYING CATTLE
RCa Packers Keep Up High
Prices Of Meat,
NO INDEPENDENT BIDDING
Packing Houses Control Quantity and
Price Of Live Stock In Daily Buying
Profits In the Business.

Packing Houses Control Suah'''J ""N
Price Of Live Stock In Daily Buying.
Profits In the Business.
The corner stone Of the fight now
under way before the federal grand
Jury in Chicago for lower meat prices
turns upon the edort Of the pack
sng interests in the country 10
form $500 O0O0 091 trust. with an Eng
Hsh charter so framed as to dodge the
operations OF the laws Of the United
States Four years ago this idea for
operating all of the packing mouse
plants IN America was started upon its
way
II died a speedy death when attor-
neys who looked into the question re-
ported TO the chief movers that an
English corporation operating under an
English charter could do nothing IN
America that local corporation
would be prohibited from doing
Then the National Packing company
became the sole reliance Of the meat
Interests Following the train Of this
company the grand jury will find the
allegation that a combination exists
for controlling the quantity and price
fn the daily huyiug of live stock. This
matter goes 10 the life Of the packers
present defense, that the high prices
o. meat are due TO the operations ana
greed OF the farmer.
Here IS what the evidence in the
hands of the government or this point
will show
Practically all Of the live stock that
comes to the Chicago packers is pur-
chased IN the daily market at the
Yards of the Union Stock Yards com
.pany Car after car daily empties its
burden OF cattle. hogs and sheep into
Tie vast pens of the concern. Each OF
Gh. big houses has its staff Of BUYERS.
who spend the day in the pens buying
for their respective houses.
The evidence will show that each
day between and 10 o'clock the op-
-rat,ons Of the buyers are mapped ont
nv them. network Of private tele-
phone lines. leading TO each pen and
from each packing house. is brought
into service to tell each buyer what
ne must buy. what he must keep on OF
and how the days buving has been al
lotted among the packers.
There f. no independent bidding n
una house qeainst another. as The fol-
lowing Incident will show One day
che buyers were an assembled in the
hog pens IN preparation for the DAYS
business huf after consulting the cen
trsl Office iusf before the opening Of
tho market II was noticed that all the
buvers avcent one drew Of They had
been ordered 10 lot that house Al all
1r the huying and not ~ make p pur
chase 0f one hog at any price The re-
-ulf vas that SELLERS who had brought
hogs 10 the pens had them left over
until fhe following dav Tho hogs must
be- fed the men must maintain them
selves AZ hotels. and he cost ~ wait
irg FOR a rise IN price was thus made
too great 20 warrant fight for a
higher price for he hog shipments.
Next day the price or hogs went
down and everybody bought The gen.
oral program was to limit the huying.
squeeze the price and then by concert
ef action stock m on hogs Al the re-
fuced price. just before the law ot
supply and demand quoting the pack
ars. forced mp the price again.
From an inside source about tho
stock yards q is learned that there is
a.ss justification for high price Of
meat under tho lattcr day system Of
utilizing The hv pro3uct than there ha7
ever been eiuce n nacking industry
h-~an Thfs Is bec3"sa these by nro-
frots are now sold for about one.thirl
the cost ~ the animal These are the
figures on which this estimate IS bas-
a. 1000 pound steer on the hoOf
bought A. q price which nets the seller
ass will dress $50 pounds of meat for
the market This will be sold for $50
more or less. according to the mar
ket leaving the packer the byproducts
on which TO make up the deficiency
and make his profit He will do this
IN the following manner
TalInw and oleo fat sl0 hide 80;
tongue. 75c.; OK tail 10c; liver 25c.;
castings Csc; glue. 81; horns, Csc;
switch t0c.: tripe 81 shank bones
and knuckles. 20c; pslstes. 1oc.;
brains. Zoe; lips Zoe; cheek meat,
20c.. sweeibreads 10c; blood, 81. To
tai Sst60