The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1916-03-10
THERE'S SOME
THING WRONG
Packers Have the Control
of Hog Market


thing wrong with our livestock mark
cts. | know and you know that that
something is doing more to hold back
our progress toward better farming
than any other one thing.
All that Kansas farmers are asking,
as l understand it. is a square deal !;
that the market shall be controlled
by the old law of supply and demand.
No men have better right to square
deal and l am with them body and
soul in that demand It is the basis
of all business life. If the market
conditions can be placed on a salts
factory basis the livestock business
will make a big growth in the next
ave years. Nothing better could hap
pen to Kansas. l want you to know
you can count on me at every turn of
the road in this or any other matter
that will help you to get what honest
" belongs to you
When in two days last fall, the price
If hogs declined $125 a hundred, it
was plain some powerful interest was
unlawfully and wickedly manipulat-
ing the market. Except in times of
oanic, the law of supply and demand
doesn't take landslide jump like this
1t works much more slowly and natur-
ally. Usually it gives warnings of
changes to come, long in advance. It
was about time for "the packers fall
raid,' as it has come to be called.
and the squeeze went on suddenly
with a thump.
Producers, after they got their bear
ings, held off for a while They could
see nothing to justify slump like
that They couldn't believe it would
asst. Prices dropped lower-then low
er Little by little the market re
ceipts gained momentum as the farm
srs 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 ana its actual scarcity in several
of the corn states. Then, finally, the
usual thing happened, there was a
scramble to market hogs, the market
records were broken by the rush. The
producers were the losers.
1t was a great victory-for the pack
ers. And maybe they needed the
Britain had held up Is
or 16 million dollars worth of their
beef-but the need of money is not
4 license to go out in the road and
take it away from all corners.
So far as | can see this is just what
the packers did, and / am not lonesome
in that opinion.
Packers In Control
We know, virtually, that the packers
control all stockyards and their term
inal facilities; even banks and loan
We know that in various
ways they discipline the producer who
shows a little independence. We know
The packers have repeatedly been fin
I'D for overstepping the laws intended
% regulate big business-laws intend
ed to keep big business from eating
Up little business.
There is not the slightest doubt in
are Systematically controlled by fact
)rs other than supply and demand
When the profit in feeding steers is so
absent, as it has been in the
asst year; when we have raids on the
hog market as we had last fall, it is
is plain as the nose on a mans face
hat there are abnormal forces con
rolling the price of farm products;
hat some powerful interest is Illegal
y manipulating the market, and l be
ieve that powerful interest to be the
zig packing houses.
The fact which the farmers of Kan |
las must face is this The markets |
If the United States are organized, no |
loubt with headquarters at Chicago |
If its kind this is one of the best |
the United States has |
'ver seen, the $1.25 drop was an ex-
'ellent illustration of it's teamwork !
But it is 20 grave and so |
erious a menace to the progress of |
he West that something must be |
lone. And | think something will be |
lone, but the producers must not |
cave it solely to the state and the gov
They themselves have a
medy-organizat and cooperation
pc ssibly the establishment of pub
ic slaughter houses and cold storage |
'lants will come where the producers
AN slaughter their own cattle and |
heep and hogs and sell them on the |
block instead of on the hoof.
| am glad to bring you the informa-