The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-09
KANSAS into
MARKET FIGHT
Governor Capper Attacks Live
Stock ManipulatiOns.
StOckmen Paid Big War Losses,
Says Executive.
PRODUCERS WILL FIGHT BACK
Solution Is Through Municipal
Packing Plants.
Criminal Prosecutions Urged in
Wichita Speech.
PRODUCERS WILL FIGHT BACK

cooperate in a fight to protect stock
men against the oppression OF pack
ing house interests. The governors
attack on the packing interests was
based on the recent federal investiga-
ton launched by Congressman Dudley
Doolittle of the Fourth Kansas dis
trict He declared that every effort
would be made by the state to protect
the stock interests against market
manipulations and illegal combina-
tons Municipal packing plants and
criminal prosecution of packers were
urged.
The governors speech before the
stOckmen today was one of the SenSa-
tions before the annual convention of
Kansas stockmen. The governors in
dictment against the packing interests
was based on market quotations OF
last fall when the price of hogs
dropped S1.25 a hundred pounds in
one day. 1t was to recover the pack
ing interests Is million dollar loss on
shipments to the allies, Governor Cap
per intimated, that the tremendous
slump was due. In the control of
| market conditions Governor Capper
declared that the packers control all
stockyards and their terminal facili-
ties, even some of the banks and loan
companies"
Governor Capper said:
Market Problem Is Serious.
I'VE are up against several prob
! y.
we have had with us for long time:
know and you know that there is
| something wrong with our livestock
markets. I know and you know that
that something is doing more to hold
back our progress toward better farm
ing than probably any other one thing.
when in two days last fall, the
price of hogs declined s1.25 a hun
dred, it was plain some powerful in
terest was unlawfully and wickedly
manipulating the market. Except in
times of panic, the law of supply and
demand doesn't take a landslide jump
like this. It works much more slowly
and naturally. Usually it gives warn
ings of changes to come. long in ad-
vance. 1t was about time for the
packers fall raid as it has come to
be called, and the squeeze went on
suddenly with thump.
Producers. after they got their
bearings, held off for a while. They
could see nothing to justify a slump
like that. They couldn't believe II
would last. Prices dropped lower
then lower. Little by little the market
receipts gained momentum, as the
farmers decided it was better to cash
in for what they could get than to hold
on In the face of the higher prices OF
corn and its actual scarcity in several
of the corn states. Then, finally the
usual thing happened, there was g
scramble to market hogs, the market
rush.
producers were the losers.
1T was a great victory-for the
, packers. And maybe they needed tbs
, money-Great Britain had held up II
J or Is million dollars worth of theil
beef-but need of money is not a Ii
cense to go out in the road and takt
) it away from all corners
) SO far as can see this is just VIVA
Z the packers did, and 1 am not lone
! some in that opinion.
Packers in Control.
1--WE know. virtually, that the pack
: ers control all stockyards and thei
terminal facilities; even some of tn.
: banks and loan companies. We know
that in various ways they disciplin,
the producer who shows a little indie
pendence. We know the packers hay
repeatedly been fined for oversteppini
the laws intended to regulate hi,
e business-laws intended to keep BIZ
8 business from eating up little business
G There is not the slightest doubt il
v my mind that the livestock market
= are Systematically controlled by fac
r tors other than supply and demand
n When the profit in feeding steers is s.
y painfully absent, as it has been in tn
e last year; when we have raids on tn
T hog market as we had last fall, it
as plain as the nose on a mans fac
that there are abnormal forces con
= trolling the price of farm products
that some powerful interest is lille
ga!iy manipulating the market, and
belieVe that powerful interest to b
the big packing houses.
+ a Menace to Progress.
THE fact which the farmers q
Kansas must face is this: The mar
- kets of the United States are organ
Il lied, no doubt with headquarters a
d Chicago. OF its kind this is one G
Is the best organizations the Unite
a States has ever seen, the SIPS dro
was an excellent illustration of il
r teamwork efficiency But it is s
If grave and so serious a menace to tn
'r progress OF the West that somethin
he must be done. And l think some
ir thing will be done, but the producer
IN must not leave it solely to the stat
~ and the government. They themSelve
Of have a remedy-organizati and &C
pOSSibly the eSta bliShmer
ut of public abattoirs and cold storae
IN plants will come where the producer
~ can slaughter their own cattle an
y sheep and hogs and sell them on I'll
n, block instead of the hoOf.
III Kansas in the Fight.
ur Il am glad to bring you the info
~ nation that the federal department
ne justice has just entered upon an il
Dis vestigation of livestock prices at II
ur central markets. Only recently 1 T,
IT. ceiVed a letter from the United Stat,
o. district attorney asking for the c.
- operation of the state of Kansas +
n will get 1t. l told him we would he
ch him in every possible way to get ;
the bottom of this infamous combir
of the packers. l have directed NJ
: Mercer, the head of our state Ivestoc
department, one of the best men
Kansas for this work, to give feder
officials every possible help, and he wi
ed have all the backing and assistan,
e. from the governor that he needs.
~ Il hope for definite, tangible r
l suits from this investigation 1t h;
e. more steam behind it from the DR.
i l.