The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-05-13
CATTLE MAN SAYS PEOPLE LIVE
TOO WE'LL TODAY
Senate Committee on High Cost Of
Living Told That Packers Do
Not Fix Prices

p" oouluS IOl, Wal I'll lJ-LdTlloT III
the hearings before the Senate COM
mittee on the High Cost of Living, a
retailer said that the moving picture
shows were one cause of the advance.
Today Murdo Mackenzie of Colorado
Texas and South Dakota, threw the
blame on the telephone. He declared
that the telephone is the curse of the
present century, because it has taught
people to live too we'll. He said that
the cost of living has gone up be-
cause we are too we'll off and that
now people will eat only the best por-
tions of beef.
A few minutes earlier he paid a
compliment to the packers, saying
that the cattlemen are only able to
dispose of certain of their cattle to
the packers, as it was impossible to
market them elsewhere, and if it
were not for the packers many cat
tleman would have to go out of the
business.
Mr.. Mackenzie had just returned
from trip abroad and was not we'll
posted on actual prices, but he man.
aged to tell the committee of the diff
ference in Canadian and the American
grazed cattle, and declared that it is
cheaper to Craze cattle than to keep
them through the winter months and
feed them on corn. lie said he has a
ranch in Texas from which he ship
ped about $500 head of cattle last
year, and another in South Dakota
from which he shipped about 1000
mead. For a number of years he said
that the price of cattle has varied
but little, although last year there
was a slight increase in prices, which
have been gradually going up. Four
or nVe years ago cattle sold for six
cents and now they are about eight
cents. However, he said, it costs more
TO run ranch now. 1t costs from
so to 40 cents day to feed a steer.
corn has gone up; kages are higher.
and in fact everything needed on a.
range costs more. O nthe whole it
costs from 33 to 35 per cent more now
to produce the beef than it did ten
years afo. Moreover, he said, MANY
OF the cattlemen would be bankrupt
II 1t We're not for their land for that
Increased in value immensely.
The witness prefaced his remarks !
by trying to put some of the blame
on the railroads, saying that in Sep
TENDER, 1907, he ordered cars to be |
used in November, but was forced to
wait six weeks, thus forcing him to
hold his cattle until after the panic |
and thereby suffering loss on them
of 81 per 100.
Mr.. Mackenzie said that he sells
almost entirely to the packers. but
that the packers do not maintain a
set price, but that one firm bids
against the other-in fact, there is
no concerted action on either side to
control prices. Hides, he said, are the
most valuable item about the cattle,
and since the passage of the tariff
he price of these has advanced con-
'iderably.
He declared that he was a men,
Der of several organizations of cattle
men, but that there is no form of
rust among them, and that they do
lothlng by which to control the
rice. He assigned the high cost of
attic to the advance in the cost of
upplies, more especially the corn.
lie cited an incident of a man who
old his hay and corn rather than feed
to his cattle because he realized
aore on it. To keep cattle through
ne winter and feed them, he said, is
o lose money.
AT the beginning of the hearing
MS morning Senator Smoot read a
etter from Senator Simmons in which
ne latter Senator denied that he had
from the committee because
e was disguised with the work ac-
emphasized. The hearing today was
OF attended by the full committee
no practically the only auditors were
1e usual quota of newspaper men.