El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-14
TOR
OPEN MARKET"
Cattlemen Hold Meeting and
Take Steps to Organize In
dependent Stockyards Co.

lUNs at a largely dLL6nQeQ and very
thusiastio meeting held in the audito-
rum of the chamber of commerce. Fri
day night, by unanimous vote declared
| themselves in favor of an open market
for livestock, free from trust control
and took the preliminary steps towards
the organization of a stockyards COM
pany to be run by, and in the interests
of, the cattlemen, whether buyers or
sellers.
Building Permit Granted.
Shortly before this action was taken
Morris & Co., acting under the name of
the Ell PasO Union Stockyards com
pany, applied at the city hall for a per
nit to establish stockyards in the
Cotton addition to the city of Ell PasO.
at cost Of $4,000, filing plans and
specifications therefor, and paying a
fee of SIS.
This fact was blazoned on the first
page Of the FL Paso Morning Times in
big type as a piece of important news
which it would have beens did the mere
fact that the El Paso Union Stockyards
company comp nau 9eeh granted permit TO
, build pens and other appurtenances Of
a stOckyards mean that such stock
yards were to be built.
May Mean Nothing.
The granting of the permit to the FL
Paso Union Stocl5yards company. which
by the way was the last building per-
nit to be granted by the building in
spectiOn department of the city
government on Friday the 18th"
does not necessarily mean that Morris
& Co. either will build stockyards or
have any intention Of building them.
The promoters of the enterprise were
probably willing to pay the SIS, which
the permit cost them, in order to dis
tract attention on the part of the pub
lie from the efforts which are being
made to cause all stockyards and other
nuisances to be located outside the city
limits, as is clearly provided by the city
charter.
Won't Stop CIamOr.
It is among the probabilities that
Morris & Co. had an idea that, by hav-
ing it become known that they secured
a permit to build a stOckyards within
the city limits, the public would con-
clude that the fight against nuisances
within the city limits had been aban-
doned and that the public clamor
against the establishment of such null
/ sances would be dropped. In this they
probably will be doomed to disappoint-
ment.
Anybody with a set Of plans and
! specifications and a designated loca-
ton, with the required fee in hand,
may obtain a permit to erect a stock
yards or twenty story hotel or office
| building, provided they conform with
existing" ordinances. The granting
OF the, permit does not carry with it
compulsory compliance with the
stated requirements of the permit.
No Franchise Yet.
The Ell Paso Union Stockyards COM
| pany has not yet, so far as public rec
ords, disclose, even applied for a fran
chise to do business within the limits
OF the city OF FL Paso, and even if Il
had, the ordinance providing that no
stockyardss packing houses or kindred
industries, coming under the general
head of ''nuisances,' shall be erected
or established within the CITY limits of
the CITY of El PaEn & still ha-
fore the city council, and until it is
disposed of it is hardly likely that the
city council viii endorse the action of
the building department and place its
20. k upon the building permit grant
ed on Friday the 18TH" to the FL Paso
Union Stockyards company. What the
! city government may eventually do
only the members Of the city govern
ment know
All should BE Encouraged
Morris & Co., the Ell Paso Union
Stockyards company, or any other con-
Germ that may elect to locate their
stockyards in the vicinity of FL Paso,
should be encouraged to do so, not only
by the city government, but by the
general public, provided always that
care be exercised to conserve the in
terests of the public, as well as Of the
cattlemen. The city governmnt how
ever, should avail itself of its right
under the charter Of the City of Ell
Paso to provide that businesses OF all
kinds, which have obnoxious features.
should be declared nuisances and be
compelled to locate where thew will
not be offensive not only to their i'm
mediate neighbors, but to the entire
city, and cause depreciation of property
values and interfere with the comfort
OF the residents Of the city.
City Fathers Were AvVnIce.
The trainers of the city charter the
organic law of the CITY of 81 Paso
oae E by the legislature Of the state
Of OF Le1as,, took great care to see that
Jne city government should have iuris-
dlcIion Oh all businesses possessing OBJ
noXious features and might compel
them TO go as far as five miles from
I Ile CITY limits when seeking location.
Inc city government exercised this pre-
rogatiYe when in 1907 or 1908 they
compelled all dairies to move beyond
the city limits They should exercise
the same prerOgative with regards to
stockyards packing houses. etc. now,
and probably will do SO.
To Be Free Of Trust Control.
The cattlemen of Ell Paso, who at
the meeting, Of Friday night resolved |
upon stockyards of their own. to be !
free Of trust control, and in which the |
principle OF the open market will be
the underlying principle, will not be
qeteTreo or swerVed from their purpose
Dy the granting Of a permit to the FL 1
PasO Union Stock yards connDanv
The committee on organization. ap- |
pointed at the chamber Of cOrnr,erce /
IlLS StlISs Is gong ahead with the work 4
OF organization, soliciting funds. seek /
ing locations and otherwise providing 1
Tor the erection and conduct of a ]
stockyards in which the cattle pro- /
ducers OF Arizona, New Mexico and /
Lexas, as well as Of Northern Mexico, /
shau lind a competitive market for 1
their products free of exorbitant tolls 4
ano otner arbitrary charges which cut /
So oeepIy into the profits of the cat
VIII Secure Location,
Ihey VIII secure, If possible, a To-
Gtlloh on the river somewhere east Of !
"a Paso, beyond the five-miie limit. If 1
lhe city government decides to exercise |
rs privilege under the charter They /
nave Two IDEAS in mind SO far as the
location on the river is concerned. one
Is necessary drainage, the other Is that
men cattIe from Mexico are destined |
20 ne yaIos they may, IL the owners
SO eject pc driven to the new yards
across a yiaduct which may be erected (
aho AVOID the necessity and danger of
lIlFlnS large herds NJ cattle through |
me CITY streets, as is now the custom,
ana VIII De the custom so long as |
slockyaFds are permitted to be erected
within the city limits
NO Fight on Anyuny,
me public is entitled - know that |
ms Iisht' II 1t can be called a fight,
g not a tight against the FL Paso |
: : MON ION olockyards company, or Morris
Z Co, or even the meat trust buf for,
~ 10