El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-09-18
TEXAS GATTLEMEn
WILL FIGHT
PACKERS
To Endeavor to Secure
Higher Prices For
Their Product

san Antonio. Texas, Sept Is
Backed by 5000 members Of the Texas
Cattle Raisers' association and 300. 900
Texas farmers. who together own g.
900, 900 head Of cattle and who annu-
ally market more than 1000. 600 head,
Ed G. Lasater, president OF that assoc
citation, has started a fight to more
eQuitably distribute the 800 percent
profit which is now realized from the
time the beef steer leaves the hand
OF the producer and reaches the con-
sumner. 1t is charged by Mr.. Lasater
that the greater portion Of this enor-
nous profit goes into the Golfers Of
the packers
Cost Of Production.
1t has been shown that il costs
S2L06 to raise year1ing steer on the
range and $t5 to carry that steer
through to the age it is put on the mar
ket for butchering purposes. Mr.. Las
ater recently marketed 279 head and
received an average of Sl9.2l less than
the actual cost per head for prOduc-
ton.
Despite the fact the producer is not
getting the cost Of production, the
steer for which the packer IS paying
S54-Z6 is being sold TO the producer
at gross price of close to s165. Just
who gets this 500 percent profit is
what the producers as well as the con-
sumers are anxious to find out.
ReOrEHnlEe Association.
To effectively fight the great pack
ers with their millions Of dollars Of
capital, the Texas cattle producers and
the consumers Of beef have decided on
the reorganization OF the Texas Cattle
Raisers' Sales Directing agency with
capital stock of $4,000 900. The
Texas cattle raisers will subscribe ST.
100000 of the stock This amount will
be obtained by levying 81 a head on
the cattle turned over to the assOcia-
ton The remainder Of the SIS. 900 900
viii be subscribed by other interests.
Il viii work in the same manner as
the Truck Growers association Of this
state.
Reason for Fixed Price.
The real reason why the great pack
ers can easily fix the price Of cattle
IS due TO the present method Of bank
ing on the part Of the producer. The
cattle man has to go to St Louis,
Kansas City or Chicago banks for the
money TO tide him over the fattening
season. This money Is lent only with
prOv1sO that he market his cattle on
demand OF the banker advancing the
money. Thus he has no choice as to the
time Of shipping. These orders can be
rushed out In great numbers and force
such a large quantity of cattle on the
market that the shipper must accept
the price which is offered. 1t is prob
able that the new association viii also
arrange Tor these loans, thus giving the
producer some option I'm the matter OF
shipment and in manner regulate the
supply and demand
Lasater Big Producer.
Mr.. Lasater. the leader Of the fight
on the packers, IS one Of the largest
producers Of cattle I'm the world. He
has the largest and finest registered
dairy herd now in eXistenc, his dairy
interests being capitalized at $1,000
600 In addition he has thousands Of
head of range cattle which range over
his 25O0 acre ranch in southwest
Texas Mr. Lasater is a Texan.
In addition to the safes agency men
toned. the Texas producers and CON
sumers viii urge that the attorney gen
eral Of the United States become more
active In the pushing of the cases now
pending against the packing house
trust