Arizona republican., 1916-01-26

mlttee to investigate the marketing situation and suggest what action should be taken to remedy conditions:
 "A. E.. DeRicqles, Edward L. Burke. J. B. Kendrick. Julian M Bassett w. U. Tod, NJ. C. Campbell Al Popham $. M. Corrie, NJ. K. Parsons, John Grattan and T. w. Tomlinson. T attended conference of this special committee on markets held ir Denver Colo, on July g last, the re- suits of which. together with the state ments made by Various members of the committee, were presented to you fully in pamphlet issued by this as sociation shortly after the July meet ing, and sent to every member of the association
 As it seemed that the facts gath cred by the marketing committee and presented at the Denver meeting 1 justified further action on the part 1 of the association, at the request of said committee We addressed a letter i to the Hon. David F. Houston. sec retary of agriculture. (Then followed the letter)
 l This was followed by further corre- l spondence with the secretary of agri- | culture, who advised me under date of 1 October p that he had decided to call | the conference suggested at Chicago on November 15 and 16, and that the same would be presided over by Mr Charles J. Brand. chief of the bureau ! of markets.
 This conference was attended by men thoroughly representative of the cattle producers and feeders, the stock yards men, the transportation compa- nies, tfe trade journals. the livestock exchanges, the retail butchers associ- auons, stock yard representatives and a few representatives of the slaughter ing interests. The few representatives of the packers participated but slightly in the very practical and frank discus sions of the conference. Their lack or active participation was sincerely re- gfetted as it had been the earnest !, nope of those who initiated the confer ence that it might be one in which the packers, through their executive repre- 1 gcntatiVes. would be willing to take part in a frank threshing out of the intricate marketing situation. Representatives of many livestock associations were present at this con- ference-which, at the request of our committee and the department of agri- culture, I attended the views of the members of the American Ma tiCnal livestock association were very ahlp presented to the conference by Mr. A. E. DeRicqles, Mir. r.. l.. Burke. and Mir. Tomlinson, and the statements of these gentlemen were ably sup ported hy MT. H. C. Wallace of the Corn Belt Meat Producers association; :; Alr. John Grattan. representing the ] Colorado Livestock associations Mir. J. H. Mercer, secretary of the Kansas Live Stock association, and many Oth- CT representative stOckmen.
 At the conclusion of his remarks, Secretary Tomlinson suggested certain definite remedies for existing unsatis- factory conditions. on which all of us who were present representing the American National had previously agreed. These suggested remedies were as follows:
 l. A more even distribution of re- ceipts on five days of the week This would prevent delays at terminals and enable the business to be trans acted at less expense.
 2 A weekly publication by the gov ernment of data as to the meat sup ply on hand.
 ?. The establishment of public abattoirs in connection with public stock yards.
 1. Slaughterers to relinquish, as far as possible, their interest in and con rol of stock yards and other instru- mentalitles involved in the marketing of livestock.
 5 Commission houses not to serve as both seller and buyer of the same = stock; and to sell direct to country purchasers.
 Federal and state supervision Of the methods and practices at the cen tral markets.
 :. A greater cooperation toward = the end of securing unrestricted com petition.
 Toward the close of the conference I endeavored to make 1t very clear, on behalf of the American National Live Stock association, that we were strict Iy constructive association and in no sense destructive one; and to Graw certain definite deductions from
 the conference which would enable US to make practical headway. It was very evident that in all the differing views presented producers, the commission men and the railroads agreed on two things: first, that there had been violent and unnatural fluc- tuations in the prices of live stock Tn
 the central markets during recent
 years, and that in many cases these fluctuations did not seem to be justi
 fled by natural law Cf supply and
 demand; and second, there seemed to | be a general agreement-outslde ol the packers, who did not express them , selves on this subject-that there was , q constantly decreasing competition
 in the great central markets; and a further agreement that the feeders oi
 the Mississippi Valley, as general
 rule. had during the past two years
 either been swapping dollars or doing
 business at a loss, while on the other hand the slaughtering interests had D been making exceptionally handsome r. profits.
 I ''I endeavored to make it perfectly clear to the members of the confer ' ence that our association did not de- 6 sire to handicap the development ol , the large packing interests; that w' Q realized that their plants were prop , ably as fine an illustration as existed
 ,, tho world todaT of industrial Scien.