The Era-leader., 1919-10-30
eyankIinton, La, Oct. 80, 1919.

NEIldlul VHitiNg ShvVN itNISNt W
Nebraska, Makes Ex.
I pertinent.
Meat is high; the packers admit it,
though they say that other foods are
higher in proportion. The farmer says
BE- Is not getting too much for his cat.
tlp In fact not enough, he says. How
about numerous local slaughtering
Dlants scattered throughout the com.
nunties of our country, or a more d.
rct.from.farmer-tO.cOn relation
ship?
There Is almost sentimental attrac.
tlveness about the thought, like dreams
Of ones boyhood home. 1t looks so
simple Indeed, it Is simple after
fashion, and Is the way most meat
VAS handled before the industry grew
10 national and international proper.
iloDs. But would it pay?
Tried 10 Build Up Local Market.
Experimentation and testing is
doubtless the best teacher. And in.
curing minds have not hesitated to
hlg into the matter. Senator F. III.
farrie Of Broken Bow, Neb., himself
fsoek raiser, relates a bit Of expe-
Hence Of his own along this line.
He tried for years, he tells US, to
4 ahbllsh a market for fat cattle with
4 heal butchers, invariably finding that
q be could not meet the price made to
! them by the packers.
In other words" he says, "the pack.
4 en- could pay us more for our cattle
oa foot, and sell the product to our
& local butchers for less money than
i they lthe butchers) could pay us for
our cattle and slaughter the beef them.
selves
During the fore part of the present
year he carried his inquiry further. He
shipped two carloads Of cows to
q Omaha, and they were sold to Armour
and Company for $3.50 per hundred.
Weight. Among these was one COW
which he wished to have himself for
'eet This cow weighed $40 pounds
ND therefore brought him S66.36. The
s1lnal was tagged and the Identical
arcass was shipped to him by ex.
fess to Thedford, Neb., and charged |
zn him at the prevailing whole
8ale price Of such meat on that day in
Kansas City, Omaha and Minneapolis. |
Inc carcass included carrying charges
. 9 about $500. cost him $60.11, or
e2o less than he sold the animal for
4 N Omaha.
What Cow Would Cost Consumer.
Now" continues the Senator, Sup.
pse consumer in Omaha had or.
ae!ed this meat direct from me, and I |
aaa slaughtered the beef at the ranch |
ahd sent the meat direct to the con. |
psaef Taking as basis the price
seved for this COW in Omaha, se6.3e, |
~ tae freight Of 1711a cents per hun. |
Y s'ed' It would make the COW worth on |
lAt ranch s65.OO."
TO this 5000 he adds $500 for
saughterlng at home and $500 for ex- |
Nsss from Thedford to Omaha, and |
deducts $500 credit for the hide. |
according to these figures the |
usssed carcass of his COW would be |
soih $500 in Omaha, as against the |
nssefs' price Of approximately s54.OO
Ma'ca is derived by deducting the ex-
KY charges to Thedford, $500, from |
|lall). 'N''' "as '0'u ~ A'
cneaper to Buy Than Kill. Il
Al'er thorough investigation" the
Naa'or says, II am convinced that
uoes not pay for us to slaughter |
V own meat at the ranch: that we |
a. sa'a better ship our cattle to |
aaaa' and buy our beef from the
sssef' .,.s have been engaged in the
ss Aue producing business all my life;
s.', - is ne particular reason why I
.aa oe friendly to the packers, but
,sa aa thoroughly convinced / am re-
ss @as, and always have received
Il u, lot my cattle on foot, than If I
M ueeh able to sell direct to the con.
s s,'. = and consequently the consumer
4, osen able to buy my product for
ns.. money through the packer than
hss. q any other system which is
Inssa Ia % business up to the present