New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1919-11-01
WOULDLOCALIzINC,
MEAT trade PAY?|
Senator Currie, Stock Raiser Of
J, Nebraska, Makes Ex.
y pertinent.

tSOu UusOssSo
Meat is high; the packers admit It,
though they say that other foods are
Agher In proportion. The farmer says
he is not getting too much for his cat
Is, in fact not enough. he says. How
xU0ut numerous local slaughtering
plants scattered throughout the COM
munities Of our country, or q more d.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS relation
shipf
There 10 almost q sentimental attrac-
hveness about the thought, like dreams
Of ones boyhood home. It looks 30
simple. Indeed, 1t IL simple after .
fashiln, and Is the way most meat
was handled before the industry grew
to national and international proper.
tons. But would it pay7
b Tried 70 Build Up Local Market.
Experimentation and testing IL
doubtless the best teacher. And IN
curing minds have not hesitated to
dig into the matter. Senator #. n.
Currie Of Broken Bow, Neb., himself
q stock raiser, relates bit Of expe-
rience Of his own along this line.
He tried for years, he tells Us, to
establish a market for fat cattle with
local butchers, invariably finding that
he could not meet the price made to
them by the packers.
"In other words" he says, "the pack
era could pay ~ more for our cattle
on foot, and sell the product to our
local butchers for less money than
they (the butchers) could pay us for
our cattle and slaughter the beef them
,Suelves."
During the fore part Of the present
Wear he carried his inquiry further. He
shipped two carloads Of cows to
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
beef. This cow weighed $40 pounds
and therefore brought him $66.S6. The
animal was tagged and the identical
carcass was shipped to him BY ex-
press to Thedford. Neb., and charged
to him at the prevailing whole
sale price Of such meat on that day In
Kansas City, Omaha and Minneapolis.
The carcass included carrying charges
Of about $500. cost him $00.11. or
1928 less than he sold the animal for
IN Omaha.
What Cow Would C.St Consumer.
SNOW" continues the Senator, sup
pose Z consumer in Omaha had or.
dered this meat direct from me, and
had slaughtered the beef at the ranch
and sent the meat direct to the con-
tumer. Taking % basis the price
received for this COW in Omaha, $66.36,
less the freight Of TN cents per hum
Ared. It would make the COW worth on
= ranch $65.O0."
70 this $500 he adds $500 for
6laughtering at home and $500 for ex-
press from Thedford to Omaha. and
he deducts 500 credit for the hide.
According to these figures the
dressed carcass Of his COW would be
worth $500 in Omaha, - against the
packers price Of approximately $500
(Which IL derived by deducting the ex-
press charges to Thedford. $500, from
the price the carcass was sold to him,
@o0.11).
Cheaper 70 Buy Than XIII.
.After thorough investigation" the
Senator says, II am convinced that
Il does not pay for rs to slaughter
our own meat 1t the ranch; that We
would better ship our cattle to
Omaha, and buy our beef from the
packer. have been engaged In the
cattle producing business Ill my life;
there II no particular reason why ]
should b friendly 70 the packers. but
4 an thocoughly convinced ! am r.
lcolvine. ana always have received
naeee for my cattle on foot, than e !
~ been able to cell direct to the con.
her, and consequently the consumer
- been able to buy my product tor
- money through the packer than
1nder any other system which =
known - business up - The present
AAunAW