The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-12-07
|STOCKMEN CAN
| FIND WAY OUT
RAILWAY COMMISSION OUTLINES
PLAN TO HELP REMEDY
LOW PRICE EVILS
Suggest State Wide Conference Be-
tween Railroads, Stockmen and
the Board; Would Prevent Dump
ing" of Cattle.

! Belief that unsatisfactory live
stock prices are due partly to dump
ing" and that intelligent co-opera
tion between the shippers of the va
rious parts of Montana could hell
to remedy this evil, is expressed by
the Montana railroad commission il
a statement issued in which the sug.
gestion is made that statewide con
ference between representatives Of
| the railroads, stockmen and the
board should be held.
Leading up to the suggestion for
the conference, to which the board
agrees to lend any assistance pos
sible, the statement records the views
of the board members with reference
to the cause of unsatisfactory condi
tions as to shipping and market
prices as follows:
Points Out Influence
1.-The law of supply and demand
manifests its influence in the market
ing of livestock perhaps to a greater
degree than any other class of ship
ments from Montana to the markets
of the middle west; not excluding
wheat and other agricultural prod
ucts, which may, in a measure, be
placed in elevators or storage tenn
porarily, not susceptible to deteriora-
tion or shrinkage while so held, and
may be placed on the market at q
later date, more advantageous to the
market situation. Not so, however,
with livestock for reasons which we
think unnecessary to cite here, and
which are well known to every stock
man. Thus it will be apparent that
unless there is method pursued in the
shipping of cattle and sheep, it must
inevitably follow that congestion will
result at destinations, whereby the
price will, be seriously affected, and
consequently the shipper must ac-
cept less than the real value of his
stock, due entirely to the markets
being glutted; the direct result of
lack of organization in the matter of
which it seems to us could
easily be regulated by concerted ac-
ton on the part of the shippers; but
in this respect there must be coop
Grafton if the benefits to be derived
are fully realized.
Conditions Unsatisfactory
'The attention of this board has
been called to unsatisfactory condi-
tons prevailing in the livestock mar
kets of South st. Paul, Chicago,
Sioux City and elsewhere.
Our investigation shows conclusively
that the remedy lies in regulation of
receipts, and this we think can be
controlled by the shippers in some
manner as briefly referred to above.
''It has been suggested by some of
he stockmen that shipping days"
should be changed so that Montana
cattle would reach the market the
'irst instead of the last of the week
his for the reason that Saturdays
market is usually overstocked, and
,eing followed by Sunday, prices are
orced down to point where the |
hipper must suffer loss, but has no
alternative than to sell.
"This board has given the subject |
great deal of thought and study,
nd we agree with number of the
tockmen who have stated to us that
me day in the week should be as
ood as another, providing the re-
eipts are distributed over the seven
avs. 1t is not because it is Satur-
ay that the market is weak, but be-
ause of conditions arising from in
discriminate shipping from all sec
ions of the producing territory, caus-
ng surplus to be thrown upon the
larket at certain times that is res
onsible for deflation in prices and
among shippers.
Cannot Be Remedied Locally
ct is plain that these matters can
OF be remedied by any arrangements
lade locally; that is to say, one sec
on of the state cannot hope to ac-
omplish results without the cooper
ton and support of all stock raising i
erritory. 1t must be handled as a /
nit otherwise the efforts of one To-
atty would be defeated by the &C
on of another, and the situation be
le same as it is today. Time and
areful analysis of this situation will
e required to formulate plans of
rocedure for the accomplishment of
est results, and we hereby suggest
nd recommend that the stockgrow-
IS of the state give it early consid-
'ation to the end that before ano-
Ter shipping season rolls around, the
stails may be worked out and plac-
in operation for the benefit of all
This board will gladly render any
'sistance possible in the formulating
plans, segregation of districts,
'uting, or in any manner wherein it
N be of help to the shippers of the
ate.
"It occurs to us that statewide
between representatives
the railroads, the stockmen and
is board might be the most direct
cans of laying a foundation for the
tndIing of this jmD0rtant nrnhlnn1 %