The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1933-02-02
over his company's fines.

dul, Was luITOuuCcus 1uc uuSIOIy
Of the Central since its organiza-
ton IL years ago was followed,
which showed that last year, 1892,
1880 of the cars arriving at South
st. Paul were handled through the
Central. This was 1878 per cent.
The balance was handled by 81 9TH
er co-operatives and private COM
mission firms.
In many ways Mr.. Gardner made
the most satisfactory address ever
made before the Sank Centre or
ganization. He said in part:
"After producing livestock as eco
nomically as possible, the next all
important step lies in a sound mar
keting program. We know that a
sound cooperative livestock market
ing program will net for the farm
err more dollars and cents than any
other system. This has been &C
complished in marketing through
our cooperative livestock shipping
associations and the Central Co
Operative Association for the farm
ers producing livestock in the
Northwest.
I'm order to maintain a co-opera-
tive marketing program, farmers
must be well informed, must not
expect the impossible, must be toll
Grant and self reliant. The life of
the cooperative system is the will
to market advantageously. Equal
ity for agriculture will come only
when the farmers have built a CO.
operative marketing system COM
parable in efficiency to those sys-
TENS employed by successful manu-
facturers in merchandising their
goods.
Personally, feel that direct
buying is, by all odds, the greatest
menace you have in maintaining a
cooperative livestock marketing
program Direct buying is the re-
suit of a vigorously developed pro-
gram of the packers. The newt
able result will be the collapse and
complete destruction of our termi-
nal markets. The entire producing
area will be honeycombed with
packer buyers, where no competi-
ton exists, no supervision and with
grading and weighing supervised by
buyers. The price established will
simply be the will of the packer.
direct buying cannot be intelli-
gently considered as a marketing
program in any sense. This elimi-
mates all possibility of marketing,
for without competitive bidding, it
is nothing more or less than dump
ing. While there has always been
more or less buying of livestock,
packers did not universally adopt or
promote this until about the time
Terminal Cooperative Sales Agen-
cies became factor in the eyes of
the market.
THAT portion of hogs, which
packers at concentration points
would rather not have-known in
market trade parlance as "tail
ends" is shipped to the terminal
markets and contributes it's share
in serving the packers interests in
being offered for sale at the price
fixing terminal markets. All these
factors weaken the effectiveness Of
demand and supply as basic factors
in determining price. In fact, no
one can truthfully state that the
prices now existing relative to hogs
reflect the proper relationship be-
tween supply and demand when 40
per cent of the consumers demand
of the nation is diverted from ter
minal markets.
Terminal markets are so sensi-
tive that just a small outside order
many times causes an increase of
10c to 25c per hundred. When this
happens, it means an increase on
all hogs offered for sale. It's in
f1uence is felt wherever hogs are
bought and sold in the entire ter
ritory affected by the terminal mar
ket and if the Chicago market is
involved, it's effect becomes Of ma
tional Importance.
From the foregoing, it is clear
that there is no middle ground for
the farmer to stand upon. The is
sues involved are clear. The de-
cision is with the farmer. If the
farmer is entitled to equality of OPP
portunity he must do these things
which will give him a chance eco
nomically to preserve market sys-
tenn which will render service and
fairness to all and demonstrate
their ability to maintain an indus
try on parity with any national
group"
Fred Wittemiller, representing
tho Tnfnrcfofn D
Association followed Mr.. Gardner
with short talk.
County Agent Lentzmier was in
troduced and made brief talk fill
ed with common sense and practical
suggestions. He introduced what
Mr.. Garner had said about direct
marketing. He stated that the
packers could well afford to pay as
much for pork as they were pay
ing for cattle and sheep. According
to Mr.. Lentmeier's figures hogs
dressed out 80 pounds out of every
100 pounds live weight; cattle, SO
to 62 and lambs 46 to so.
Charles Miller, president Of the
Stearns County Taxpayers Associa-
ton complimented the Shipping As
ISOLATION on the fine showing they
had made. He reviewed the work
and accomplishments of the Tax
Payers organization showing how
they had saved many thousands of
dollars to the citizens Of Stearns
county during the past year.
DR.. Dubois said he was deeply
impressed with the fact that never
before should the farmers put their
heads together to protect them
selves as at the present time. He
urged that the value of the dollar
| be returned, suggesting that the