The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1915-12-02
THIS HOG GRAB
Weiser Signal, Like Herald, Demands
Justice For Farmers

Some weeks ago the Signal regi
tered what we believed to be a jul
complaint against the treatment {
the hog raisers of Idaho and tn
northwest by those in control of tn
Portland stock yards, and the ed
torial received such universal CON
mendation from both producers an
buyers outside of Portland that it i
not surprising it aroused the ire O
the market manipulators and brough
forth strong protest from the Port
land Live Stock Reporter, the orgal
of the associated buyers at the stocl
yards. In addition to a three-col
umn article in the Reporter, reply
ing to the Portland Journal and tn,
Signal, Mr.. Lewis Nelson of Weiser
is in receipt of letter from the pres
ident of the stock yard company TAX
ing vigorous exceptions to what the
Signal had said
The gist of the article in the Re-
porter is that it takes years to gel
acquainted with the intricacies of the
live stock market; that it is pre-
sumption for any ne outside of the
charmed circle at the stock yards or
at the packing houses to attempt
to give the facts concerning
markets to the reading public; that
the average price taking the year in
to consideration was better in Port
| md than in the eastern markets,
and that at about the time the arti-
cles appeared in the Journal and Sig
nal there was only about rs cents
difference in favor of the eastern
markets, and that the western hogs
are light, stubble and hay fed, hence
are not marketable at the same
prices as the eastern gram fed stock.
In support of its position the Report
er quotes from eastern and middle
western papers under dates of Octo-
Der % and Do to show that Portland
markets compared favorably with
he markets in Kansas City, Omaha,
Chicago and Denver.
Now it is true there was drop in
he markets of the east of about 81
| hundred about October ooh, but
here had been months previous to
hat time that the markets there
anged from So to So so a hundred
higher than the Portland market,
nd the Reporter vas careful not to
uote any of those MAJ kets during
august, September and the first half,
r more, of October. Every person
4 the northwest who has kept in
ouch with the situation knows that
or several years the owners of the
'ortland stock yards urged the pro-
uction of hogs, in order to help in
ae building of great packing in
ustry on the Pacific coast and thus
void the loss in freight in shipments
} the eastern markets and a cores
onding loss in freight in the ship
lent of the finished product to the
onsumers of the northwest. In or
er to stimulate this production
rices have ranged if anything a
tile higher than they have in the
asst, and this accounts for the aver
ge for the year being in Portland's
avor, but it became evident early in
lie summer that the production was
citing sufficient for the needs of the
ortland p ackeIs ard it was decided
was time for the harvest. That it
as taken from the producers will
. testified to by every shipper from
ewiston, Idaho, and that it was not
assed on to the consumers of meat
roducts will be testified to by every
tail purchaser of the Union Meat
o. This system of commercial
kept up until the news
apers took it up and then the prices
ere advanced in Portland at about
lie same time they were reduced in
lie east, and this enabled the Re-
orter to make comparative show
G, covering period of three days,
hich left but IS cents 10 rs cents
fference against Portland.
At this juncture it might be we'll
throw little light on the m 7nipu-
,tion of the eastern market for be
understood no one is claiming