The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-01-24

thorough scientific work into this
business that he is able to make a
handsome profit from by-products
alone. Even though It was state COL
lege investigation that made this dis
covery, there Is always some individ-
ual mean enough to ask when this
assertion is made, How much were
they paid to find it out that way" This
Is simply mentioned as one instance
Of the well known fact that the pack
ing industry has not got the confidence
of the public at all. Controversy as to
the extent of blame resting on it Of
course will always be plentiful. but
there is no denying the public idea in
regard to tie large packing interests.
The packing business, while extend
ing over a considerable period Of
years from the early sixties. has had
IA marvellously rapid growth in recent
years in America. Now it has EXTEND
ed its operations In large way into
the Argentine, into Australia and over
our own country. Not only is this
gigantic combination extending its
operations over enormous areas Of
territory, but its qualifications extend
into nearly every phase Of the live
stock business. The packers not only
loan money in enormous sums over
large areas for buying, feeding and
finishing cattle, they buy much of the
stock direct, they kill and cure 1t, and
the general impression is now that
they have started the operation of re-
tail stores of their own in many cities
Of the United States and Canada. The
latter. of course, is common in West
eTn Canada, but that the aim is to
make it a great system completely
controlling the retail trade is the i'm
preston. These packers have unlimit-
ed millions at their disposal, so that
the shifting about of a few millions
to keep control Of the industry in any
one place amounts to nothing when
, of the producer in some other part OF
the country, or probably even in an
other country altogether. That this
state of affairs as controlled at pres
ent has made, is making and will con-
tinue to make for great discomfort on
the part of the producer is not open
to argument, and the state of mind
as exhibited by American producers,
particularly during the last three
years, is ample proof of it. There are
always men who kick on conditions
generally, particularly when they lose
money by bad judgment in buying or
selling under booms, but where a ma
ton Of producers risGs up OH it's hind
legs and paws the air in wrath there
is something genuinely askeW, and
particularly go when packers cannot
err will not answer the simplest OF
questions asked them. Such q thing
happened at FL Paso, Texas, last win
ter when the American National AS
ISOLATION of Stock Growers held its
annual convention and decided to COL
lect some millions of dollars to fight
packing interests. What this will ac-
complish remains to be seen, but it is
doubtful II it will get very far under
the packers skins.
The Co. operative Movement.
On top Of this is another movement
in Minnesota and Wisconsin quite I'M
pretentious as yet, that may or may
not amount to something in time.
That is the establishment Of small
farmers packing plants. There are
now two of these in operation and
two more building. The writer had the
privilege OF spending part Of day
at one Of these new plants established
on January II last, at Wausau, Wis
consin. Wausau is a beautiful city
of about $4,000 people, lying near the
center Of Wisconsin and surrounded
by splendid mixed farming country
with many small towns and villages
within a comparatively short distance
from it. The territory is we'll and long
settled and while the natural agri-
cultural resources are not so rich as
many other areas in that or neigh