The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-09-19
COST OF LIVING
IS DISCUSSED
At Consumers and Producers
Conference
MEETING in FORT WORTH
Centred Selling Agency and an
Independent Peckins Plant Are
Couple OF the interesting Mat
tiers Considered.

The Consumers and Producers con-
ference, the first large meeting MAX
ing direct attack on the high cost OF
living. was held at Fort Worth, with
representatives of both millions OF
people and millions of dollars taking
part. People were represented by la.
Dor and Farmers union, delegates OF
commercial organizations and citizens
generally; the dollars by the Texas
Cattleraisers' association, the "rich-
est membership organization in the
world by common repute,
Ed G. Lassiter, president of the Tex
as Cattleraisers' association, origi-
natof of the movement, called gath
ering to order He said the purpose
of the meeting was Ito see il some
means OF marketing livestock cannot
be inaugurated by which the producer
can get a fair return over and above
the cost of production, and to see If
the margin between what the producer
is paid and what the consumer Is
charged cannot be narrowed =
Reminding them that he belonged to
the producing end. he said the idea
that the beef barons and the beef trust
were working together to get extor-
tionate prices was false; that for one
thing, 80 per cent of the beef of the
country is produced on farms and not
on ranches, and that the large ranches
of the country have ceased to be prof
table, many in the past few years IL
quidating.
He declared that If livestock pro-
duction could not be made profitable
the farms would produce less, the soil
fertility would be further depleted, the
cost of food products produced on the
farms would mount higher and move
ment from farm to city would continue,
injuring both city and country from
an industrial and sociological stand
point.
Permanent organization was effect
ed by the election of Ed C. Lassiter
president and Berkeley Spiller of Fort
Worth, secretary OF the Texas Cattle
raisers' associatary.
Former State Senator j. @. Terrell
of San Antonio criticised The state
laws, which, he said, require the rail
roads to haul one man S cattle at
the same price as another's, and then
forb d livestock commission men make
the same price for selling their cattle.
Il have reached the conclusion, he
said, that the Federal government
must reach out supervise and regulate
the treat business concerns now active
in tbs country and Of which there IS
so iiuch complaint. It mnst open their
boeiss, ascertain their profits and say
Whit future profits must be. IT the
objection be made that the govern
ment has no right to supervise cor
porte enterprise, my answer Is that
the theory may have once applied to
the world, but IL now absolutely out
of date. We have been gradually
moving up to the other view for TWEEN
ty years and in twenty years more
there will Blu none TO dispute 1t. The
new view must prevail or big bust
ness nush GshsS w tAlst, ttHu tH6 busi-
mess man who does not realize this Is
in mental darkness.
MIR. Terrell, who last year was the
Republican nominee for governor,
also urged that no man be permitted
to acquire more than IS, DOC, 900 nor to
inherit more than $3.50. 600.
Several others spoke.
r. G. McMinus OF the Swift com
pany spoke in behalf OF packers.
Resolution protesting against dam
ages assessed against railroads being
charged up as freight rates prevailed
q national coAuention was favored