The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1910-02-04
CULLvSIUN IN
BUYING CATTLE
How Packers Keep Up HIgl
Prices Of Meat
NO INDEPENDENT BIDDING
Packing Houses Control Quantity ana
price Of Live Stock In Daily suy"S'
Profits In the Business.

Packing Houses SO"' -
price Of Live Stock In Daily Buying /
Profits In the Business.
The corner stone of the fight no"
,,der way before the federal gran"
h,rv IN Chicago for lower meat pl''e'
tnrns upon the effort of me p4's /
mo interests in the country 70
form q $500 600 600 trust with am hi.5
3,nh charter so framed as TO dodge tag
onorotiors of the laws of the Oni'e1
state -Four years ago this IDEA LOT
oneraiing an of the packing housF
piants in America was started upon ''S
way. . ,.+or
Dovs who looked into the question re-
nortea 10 the chief movers that an
English corporation operating under an
Fnrlisb charter could do nothing IL
Arerica that a local corporation
would he prohibited from doing
Then the National Packing company
hacame the sole reliance Of the mea'
interests. Following the train oil TINS
company the grand jury Will ma tn'
allegation that a combination exists
for controlling the quantity and price
in the daily buyirg OF live stock. ms
matter goes to the life Of the packers
present defense. that the high prices
of meat are due to the operations anu
greed Of the farmer.
Here is what the evidence III the
hands of the government on TINS poiA'
will show:
Practically all of the live stock tha'
comes 10 the Chicago packers Is pur-
chased in the daily market at the
Yards Of the Union Stock Yards com
many Car after car daily emptes us
burden of cattle. hogs and sheep into
the vast pens OF the concern. Each Of
the big houses has its staff OF buyers
who spend the d0y in the pens ouyhl
for their respective houses.
The evidence viii show that eacl
day between Q and 10 o'clock the op
e-ations of the buyers are mapped on
nv them. A network of private tele
nhone lines leading TO each pen an
from Zach nocRin~ house. Is brouSh
into service TO tell each buyer wHa
ne must buy. what he must keep on O
and how the dav's buving has been a
lotted among the packers.
There is no independent bidding
one house against another as the 10
lowing incident will show. One da
the brvers we're all assembled in IN
hog mems in preparation for the day
business but after consulting the Gel
,ral office Just before the opening
the market il was noticed that all Oh
bnvers except one drew off They ha
heen ordered to let that house do a
NJ the huving and not to make a pm
chase of one hog at any price The
sult was that sellers who had broug
hoge 10 the pens had them left oV
until the following day The hogs mn
ne fed the men must maintain thel
selves M hotels. and the cost OF wa
ing for a rise I'm price was thus ma
too great 10 warrant fight for
higher price Tor the hog shipments.
Next day ne price Of hogs we
down and everybody bought The 70
eral rroeram was to limit the buyir
souaczo the price. and then by conce
cd action stock mp on hogs at the
duced price just before the law
sunplv and demand" quoting the pa
ore forced MP the price again.
From an inside source about
stock wards it is learned that there
less justification for a high price
meat under the latter day system
utilizing the by-product than there
ever been since the packing indus
beqan This is because these hyT
ducts are now sold for about oneth
the cost of the animal These are
figures on which this estimate is
Cd. A 1900 pound steer on the he
BOUGHT at price which nets the SCI
sec will dress $50 pounds of meat
the market This will be sold for
more or less. according TO the II
kct. leaving the packer the by-prodr
on which 10 make up the defcie
and make his profit He will do
in the following manner.
Tallow and oleo fat. $40; hide,
tongue. 75c.: OK tail, Zoe: liver p
castings. 35c.; glue. 81 horns, 2
switch. 1Oc.. tripe, 81; shank DO
and knuckles. zoe; palates, !
brains 1Oc.: lips, 1Oc.; cheek m
2Oc.: sweetbreads, 1Oc.; blood, 81.
tai, s246O