The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-10-15
Methods of Marketing
LiOe Stock and Meats

closes. is wholesale Strengthening and
meat packing. SGch industries nsuaI-
~ are associated with the great cen
trallZed markets. More than loo
slaughtering and meat packing estab
ltshmenis were operating i'm The
Unit I'd states in 1914. and turned out
products worth $l,651.7G5.I2I. The
specialists report that one OF the
striking features of the Industry IL
the concentration Of ownership Pack
ing establishments buy directly from
The producer in California to great.
err extent than in any other state or
section. This practice. which in the
opinion OF the specialists. will con.
tinue TO be important In those parts
OF the country remote from central.
lied markets. is most characteristic of
the western group of states in gen
eral. There is y decided difference
OF opinion among producers. market
men. and packers as to the effects
OF this practice in sections supplied
with central markets on the general
market prices OF live stock and on
the prosperity OF cattle raiscrs.
bl-plpcc wa type.
Municipality owned or controlled
abattoirs are becoming increasingly
important in the local marketing or
live stock. the report shows. and are
dispiactnE rapidly the old type OF
slauGhterhouse. Public abattoirs have
been established in twenty-five cities
and thirteen states. Local conditions
shodld determine whether or not n
city should build It's own abattoir,
and a thorough examination Of con
dttions, therefore. should be made be.
fore definite action is taken.
Great variations were found 10 exist
in the losses Of and damage To live
stock in transit on different railroads.
On one road the claims paid amounted
10 nineteen per cent Of the revenue
during certain period. and on an.
other 10 less tina five per cent. The
total claims for such loss and damage
in l9l3-l9l4 on twenty ?seyen rail-
roads We're S1,245,47ISl. The average
rates on live stock for the years 1871
10 1913 were found to be ten cents pcr
hundred pounds for eastern or official
territory, ll.9 cents for southern ter
ritory. and 40 cents for western ter
ritory
The correlation between average live
stock and meat prices over relatively
long periods is closer titan is general,
understood When the price or live
stock rises >or falls, meat prices tend
to change in the same direction, bu:
the meat prices are not subject to
abrupt daily fluctuations, which are
one OF the most adverse features OF
live stock market conditions.
Market Returns.
In order 10 secure information as to
the relative cost OF the different fac
tors or steps in the processes OF mar
ketinG animals and the proportion of
the final price reaching the farmer and
other parties 10 the transactions, the
specialists traced several typical lots
OF beef cattle from produced to con-
snmer, both through centralized mar
kets and where the animals were dis
posed of locally In the former case
the farmers share of the gross re-
tuUs ranged from Gfty-four per cent
to clEhty-iiye per cent. while from two
per cent 10 i've per cent went to pay
market expense, two per cent to nine
per cent was received by the packers,
and eight per cent 10 thirty-three per
cent by the retailers. In the local
sales. from sixty-twO per cent ia
elghty-four per cent OF the gross re-
turns was received by the farmer and
from fifteen per cent TO thirty-eight
per cent by the retailer. The detailed
hgures indicate. however. that even
when account is taken of the fact that
lower grade stock is sold locally the
returns from such sales are not as
great relatively as those from sales
through centralized markets.