Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-07
CHAMBER
FIGHTS LAW ON
HOG SHIPPING
Atlanta Ordinance Barring Geor-
gia-Dressed Swine Called
Discrimination.

Following numerous letters of COM
plant from South and Middle Geor-
gia, the Georgia Chamber Of Com
merce, through it's president, C. J.
Haden, has taken up with the city of
Atlanta, in the person of its Mayor,
the matter of the ordinance which
forbids the shipment Of dressed hogs
to Atlanta from points within the
State.
Whatever the reasons for this or
dinanCe," said Mr.. Haden, Gin its prin-
cipal effect it is gravely dtscrimina-
tory against Georgia hog raisers and
in favor of the packing houses I'm
der the interstate commerce laws no
city ordinance can prevent the ship
ment of duly inspected dressed hogs
to Atlanta from Chicago, or Kansas
City, or any other point outside the
State-but under the existing ordi
nance the Georgia hog raiser must
ship his hogs here to be slaughtered"
The matter came up last week, aft
er a long period of discomfort r. L.
Ballard. farm demonstrator for Tur-
ner County, came to Atlanta to con-
fer with Mr. Haden about the matter.
Protest Sent Mayor.
Mr.. Haden had been receiving let
tiers of complaint against the discrin-
| nation, one of which was from \. F.
Moody. president OF the Randolph
! County Chamber of Commerce. To
this letter Mr. Haden referred in his
communication to Mayor Woodward,
sent Monday, which reads as follows:
Let us call your attention to the
| letter from Mr.. T. F. Moody, president
of the Randolph County Chamber of
| Commerce. to Clerk Walter Taylor,
dated April 4, protesting against the
Atlanta ordinance forbidding the
| shipping into Atlanta of dressed hogs.
For your convenience we inclose you
herewith copy Of the letter.
1T occurs to the writer that 1t is
| undue restraint of trade and a hard
| ship on the industry we are all trying
! to develop in Georgia to forbid the
! shipping of dressed animals into At
lanta, unless such ordinance is abso-
lutely necessary to the health of the
people. Is there not some better So
luton of this question?
Big Meat Loss in Country.
knowing how deeply you have at
| heart the welfare of the agricultural
| interests of Georgia, l am confident
you will use your best efforts to bring
about a condition more favorable to
hog raising.
Previous correspondence between
the Georgia Chamber of Commerce
and ]. P Kennedy, health officer, re-
suited in the statement by the latter
| that the ordinance was designed to
check the shipment into Atlanta Of
many diseased and otherwise un-
wholesome carcases," to be sold in
the local market
THE ordinance" wrote Mr.. Kenne-
dy, takes care of the situation, and
forces the slaughter houses to slaugh
| ter for the public without discrimina-
/ ton, a maximum charge being hXed
Ordinance Called Unfair.
Mr.. Kennedy added that he believed
the law wise.
Mr.. Haden said he believed Mayor
| Woodward would not require any
suggestions from the Chamber of
| Commerce to aid him in rectifying an
| obviously unfair situation-unfair to
! the small farmer who raised a few
| hogs in Georgia and could not make
up a carload of live animals for ship
ment, thus being compelled, for want
| of an Atlanta market, to sell his prod
uct in his own community, "at an an
nual waste of about $4,000 from
spoiled meat in many counties that
know Of" said Mr.. Haden.
THE situation, broadly speaking,
arises from the fact that whereas in
1899 a pound Of cotton would buy
pound of meat, It now requires two
pounds Of cotton for that office. The
| cid balance Is destroyed.
Remedy Is Suggested.
I'VE should do our best to restore
it. or as much of it as possible, and
| the way to do that is to encourage the
| home production of meat"
It is said the objections to Georgia
slaughtered meat coming into Atlanta
! should be easily removed either by
! Inspection at the abattoir or by In
I spection on receipt in Atlanta, or both.
! Another thing" said Mr.. Haden.
! "the development Of this problem is
| another great boost for a big city
| market i'm Atlanta. You can easily
see how it would help matters"