The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1916-12-12
Bv n. p, BURTON.

Chicago, Dec. 12.-The "breeders'
and feeders" of live stock in this
country constitute what are technic-
ally known as the "the live stock inter-
ests," and a great proportion of them
are directly or indirectly affiliated
with a huge but rather loose organi-
zation called "The American National
Live Stock association" Its presi-
dent is Dwight B. Heard of Phoenix,
Ariz., and its other officers are drawn
from the great and little ranches that
range from Texas to Wyoming and
from California to Illinois. They are
absolutely unified in their. contention
that only a government investigation
of proportion and purpose, instituted
and carried to an effective climax can
straighten out the meat problem of
the American people. So.
The occasion chosen for the putting
forward Of their viewpoint lies in the
recent introduction into congress of a
resolution by Congressman Borand
of Missouri, asking some such official
action.
The strategic question, above all
those relating to increase costs of
feed, land, labor, ETC.. that is in the
mind of the producer, as elected by
hearings on this resolution seems to
be this
Controlled Market.
Is it mainly due to a controlled
market that the price Of beef on
the hoof is subject to such con-
slant fluctuations, resulting in
great breaks and losses for the
producers; and are these fIuctu-
atoms largely controlled and ma
nipuIated by the packers and not
altogether the natural ones FOL-
lowing the normal changes in sup
ply and demand? and If so, how
can this be remedied?
This cOnditiOn-namely that of a
controlled" market If it exists, is alb
solutely fatal to his business from the
standpoint of the producer, and I'M
mediately> explains his lassitude, in.
asmuch as he must at all times be
reasonably certain of the price his
product will bring, and especially so
of late years with costs of production
all steadily rising.
Live Product.
The man who sells cattle for liv-
ing, it will be seen, deals in a very
precarious product. He is not trad
ing in some static, manufactured arti.
Gle like nails or buzz-saws or phono-
graphs-some object not subject to
rapid deterioration. Instead he is
dealing in live product, thing that
must be disposed of at the very mo-
ment it is ready for market. 1t must
be shipped exactly at the moemnt it
is ''finished,'' and before it has con-
sumed it's weight in feed costs; it
must needs be sold the moment it
reaches it's destination at one of the
big live stock centers for it will soon
eat it's head off, destroying all pos
sible chances of profit. In addition
while in transit, meat animals are
subject to loss in weight, to possible
injury or even death, in addition to
various other sorts of wastage-all OF
which initiate sharply against the
|pocketbook of the producer.
Such contingencies are bound to be
fraught with more or less tragedy
of course, for the man who is selling
On the Other hand, they are 'pie" for
the man who is buying, especially if
the latter should happen to be buying
largely in harmony" with other buy.
ers. The men who buy in this case
are the big packers with home offices
in Chicago. They are known to have
ESPECIALLY good business heads be-
cause they are all of them rich be-
yond the dreams of avarice. There
fore one is more or less tempted to
give pause before the cry of the pro-
ducers to the effect that it is not that
they take exception to the packers
taking advantage of the legitimate
pie in this game, but that what they
do object to is that in buying cattle,
the packers bake pie where there
was really no legitimate "pie" in sight
at all!
The packers, they go on to charge,
are expert multipliers of 'pie" first,
last and all the time, and they have
announced that they are heartily tired
and sick of watching the antics OF
these "overfed little Jack Horners,
CONTINUED on Page Four)