Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-11-13
WOULDLOCALIlNC
MEAT TRADE PAY?
Senator Currie, Stock Raiser Of
Nebraska, Makes Ex-
pertinent.

"CaI Is AlSus luC poShcAS dULu1I IT,
though they say that other foods are
higher in proportion. The farmer says
he is not getting too much for his cat.
tie, in fact not enough, he says. How
about numerous local slaughtering
plants scattered throughout the com
munities of our country, or a more d.
observation-disclosures relation
ship?
There is almost a sentimental attrac-
tiveness about the thought, like dreams
Of ones boyhood home. It looks so
simple. Indeed, it is simple after a
fashion, and is the way most meat
was handled before the industry grew
to national and international proper
lions. But would it pay?
Tried to Build Up Local Market.
Experimentation and testing is
doubtless the best teacher. And in
quiring minds have not hesitated to
dig into the matter. Senator r. M.
Currie of Broken Bow, Neb., himself
a stock raiser, relates a 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
ers could pay US more for our cattle
OF 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
selves"
During the fore part Of the present
| year 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 S6S.36. 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
/ SdlS pl1SC VI SOSA 1QCoL OA lA1oI o0y ~
Kansas City, Omaha and Minneapolis,
The carcass included carrying charges
of about $500, cost him $6O.11, OF
$6.25 less than he sold the animal fol-
in Omaha.
What Cow Would Cost Consumer.
"Now," continues the Senator, "sup'
pose a 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
sumer. Taking as a basis the price
received for this cow in Omaha, $66.36
less the freight of 17h cents per hun
dred, it would make the cow worth Or
the ranch $65.00."
To this s65.OO he adds $500 To-
slaughtering at home and $500 for ex
press from Thedford to Omaha, ant
he deducts $500 credit for the hide
4 According to these figures tn
dressed carcass of his COW would b.
worth $1,000 in Omaha, as against tn
packers price of approximately $54.O
(Which is derived by deducting the ex
press charges to Thedford, $500, iron
the price the carcass was sold to him
$6O.11).
:, Cheaper to Buy Than Kill.
; "After thorough investigation" tn
Senator says, II am convinced tina
it does not pay for US to slaughte
: our own meat at the ranch; that W
: would better ship our cattle t
: Omaha, and buy our beef from tn
! packer. I have been engaged in tn
cattle producing business all my life
there is no particular reason why
should be friendly to the packers, bu
I am thoroughly convinced I am II
ceiving, and always have receive
more for my cattle on foot, than IL
had been able to sell direct to the col
sumer, and consequently the consume
has been able to buy my product II
less money through the packer tina
under any other system which
known to business up to the prese1
time"