The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1915-10-21
ROBS PRODUCER AND
CONSUMER
Severe Arraignment of Portland
Packing Houses-Hogs
Go to Kansas City.


The Weiser Signal last week con-
tanned severe arraignment Of the
methods of the Portland packing
houses and stockyards, and calls up
on the federal government for an
investigation. Its article is very time
ly in view Of the general complaint
of shippers Of hogs in southern Idaho.
The article follows:
The raising of hogs has become one
of the greatest industries of southern
Idaho, and no other agency contrib
uted more toward a stimulation Of
the industry than the management
Of the Portland stock yards and the
packing concerns of the Oregon me-
tropoIis. Late developments, how
ever, indicate that the packing com
panies want all of the profits from the
industry and that if the Portland
stockyards companies are not parties
to the plundering going on they are
at least passive and are not raising
a hand in the interest of the stock
men in their territory.
There is no reason why Portland
cannot pay just as much for hogs as
Chicago, yet the following editorial
in a recent issue of the Portland
Journal tells of the discrimination:
"On the same day, this week, the
price of hogs was quoted as follows:
Chicago, 8.45; Omaha, $7.85; Seattle,
S6.70; Portland, S645. There was a
difference of 50 between Chicago and
Portland and a difference of 25 cents
between Portland and Seattle.
"The change in relative figures as
compared with former times is
marked. They are changes of very
great interest to Oregon farmers.
at is not very long ago that Port
land prices and Chicago prices were
about the same, Portland running
sometimes higher than the midwest
metropolis. A drop in Portland of
81 below the Chicago price must be
a change which producers would be
glad to have a satisfying explanation.
'The prices now in Portland are
low enough to give consumers break
fast bacon and ham at fairly reason
able figures, which occasions wonder |
whether or not they are really get
ting full benefit of the change"
Since the article in the Journal ap-
peared conditions have been gradu-
ally growing worse. Hogs are now
quoted at Portland at about So per
hundred, but through a system of
locking under one preteuse or an
'ther the shipper gets from SOC to
ISL hundred less than the market
Iuotation.' Some of the finest hogs
shipped from this section were scaled
iown in price after they reached
recently until the producers
My received s. for them. After pay
ng the freight this did not leave them
nough TO pay for the feed.
But the price being paid for stock
5 not the only ground for complaint.
+ the consumers were getting the
enefit of the reduction in price there ,
1ould be some return for the loss to ,
outhern Idaho, but they are not For
t least three months the price of :
heats from the packing houses has {
cen gradually going up. Inquiry of i
ne merchants reveals the fact that q
ne prices of packing house products, (
of pork, are higher today I
nan when the producers were getting =
5 hundred for their hogs. Quota ,
ons from the Union Meat company :
5 late as yesterday October 14) ver- +
y this statement, and is the best >
7idence on earth that system of :
under has been inaugurated. "
In order to see if there is not
,medy the Signal has taken the mat
r up with Senator Borah, and con
ilted Congressman Smith about it G
lille he was in this city. An imme- n
late investigation by the national p
overnment is urgent, and if all stock W
users will write to their congress u
an and senator as soon as they G,
sad this article the governmental
achinery can soon be put in motion.