San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-11
COOPERATIVE MARKETING
AGENCY OF CATTLE MEN TO
fr,- FIGHT COMMISSION FIRMS
President Harris Accepts Gauge of Battle From Fort
I Worth Selling Agencies and at Ell Paso Conven-
ton This Week Will Tell How Cooperative
Agency Is Selling Cattle at s12 Car as
Against $22 Charged by Others.

! there are about Is or 20 men that
have controlled this association Tor
the last 10 or 10 years and they were
largely instrumental in the fight
started on the cattle loan companies,
packing house and commission COM
panies, and ut time when we were
getting the best prices we had ever
received for our livestock, and we
think they are largely responsible for
the financial disaster that was put
upon the cattlemen. .. Our plan is
to employ two good inspectors and a
secretary and give the cattlemen bet
ter service free than. the association
is giving them and we do not think
the cost will exceed 10 cents per car
to furnish this service free"
Selling Charges Too High.
Mr.. Harris expects no record crowd
at the Ell Paso convention, due, he
says, to unfavorable conditions bright.
ened only by a mild winter, timely
rains and plenty of weeds and grass.
However, il the cattlemen had re-
ceiyed the reductions in selling costs
at the markets that they were entitled
to-" he said, "ani which they are get
ting now when they sell through the
Cattle Raisers' and Producers Com.
mission Company, they would have
plenty of money on which to go to
the convention. The fact of the mat
ter is that Mr.. Todd is just speaking
for the commission men of Fort Worth
who are charging too much for SELL
ing livestock. But they cant break
up the Cattle Raisers' and Producers
Commission Company, nor the Cattle
Raisers' Association, which has en-
dorsed the cooperative marketing pro-
gram but has not financed our COM
mission house. The only thing we are
trying to do is to get tbe price of SELL
ing livestock back to an economic
basis and we have done it,
Mr.. Harris also cites a letter "to
shippers at large" by II. Z. Crowley
of Fort Worth, former secretary of
.he Texas Cattle Raisers' Association
and reported from the associations
headquarters to be a representative of
some of the commission merchants at
Fort Worth in the case which was
filed by various livestock associations
with the secretary of agriculture, at
lacking the commission charges at
Fort Worth and other markets. Mr..
Crowley proposes IN association to
provide thorough brand inspection at
the market centers at an annual cost
of 2 cents or less, per head Of cattle
rendered, with no membership fee. an
nual dues or extra charge as commits
sion on proceeds of cattle recovered.
The benefits Of such an association
could, on the same basis, Mr.. Crow
Icy says, be extended to banks and
cattle loan companies, thus affording
protection to their interests.
@The Texas and Southwestern Cat
tie Raisers' Association is the police
force of the cattlemen," Mr.. Harris
replies. Evidently all the cattle rus
tiers and thieves would be glad to see
such an organization as proposed sue
coed and break up the Cattle Raisers'
Association. j know Of nothing that
would cripple the cattle industry any
quicker than a division of efforts in
protecting the cattle of the producers.
But 1 have no fear that the cattle
raisers Of Texas will be interested in
anything that will detract from an eff
ficient organization like they already
have"
Explains Operation Of Cooperative.
Why the Cattle Raisers' and Pro-
ducers' Commission Company was
formed and how It is successfully cp-