Imperial Valley press., 1917-02-16
CATTLE AND HOGS.
By Harris w. Weinstock

In the marketing of cattle and hogs the small farm
is obliged to sell to the itinerant buyers who visit him
at or less irregular intervals to ship to the large
consignment. If he ships on consignment he
is placed at the disadvantage of being obliged accept
whatever is remitted to him. without knowing whether
he is getting the value of his product nor has he any
of checking the weights with which he is credited
by the consgnee He placed under the further dsad
vantage of being obliged ship to the large centers in
less than carload lots thus being taxed with the maxi
freight rates.
On the other hand if he sells to the itnerant buy
er he is placed at the disadvantage of dealing with an
pert who is shrewd barganer and who is thoroughly
informed market conditions, thus giving him every
advantage the small farmer who is not in posi-
ton to know the exact market conditions and who as
rule is match in knowledge, experience cleverness
for the to whom he is selling
The ideal marketing condition. in the interest of the
small farmer who has live stock to SELL is to have local
organizations the members Of which deliver their few
head of like stock at central shipping point given
day. in order ship carload ots these to be transport
ed to sockyards located at convenient points for the as
sembyng of the buyers The associations would be rep
resented at such stockyards by selling agents. who being
expert cattemen would grade and segregate the live
stock and invite bids from the various buyers selling for
spot cash the highest bidders The approximate cost
of selling under such plan would exceed per cent
commission, which would include compensation to the
selling agent and the feeding and housing in the stock
yards.
Under the foregoing system the small farmer, then
would get the benefit of carload rates his few head of
live stock and would enjoy all the advantages of having
his stock properly graded and sold by expert salese
thoroughly informed as to market conditions and in a
position to meet on footing the expert buyers
packers and others. He would secure all these advan-
tages at the least possible COST and his sales would be
made practically for spot cash.
1t is my purpose to endeavor to have this plan car
red out at the earliest day To accomplish this desired
end 1T will be necessary to enlist private capital in the
establishing of stockyards in suitable locations various
parts of the state. 1t will also become necessary to or
ganize the farmers into local live stock marketing asso
cations am at present in correspondence with parties
who are interested in the establishing of stockyards and
there is now strong likelihood that in due course the
first of such sockyards M be established at some con-
renient point in the Sacramento Valley If the first ef
fort in this direction be made success anticipate
little difficulty in duplicating the plan in other parts of
the state and when this shall have been accomplished
feel that the problem the part of the small farmer in
successfully marketing his live stock will have been large
" solved
The food dealers should remember that the common
people must keep alive or they can't buy goods