Image provided by: Crook County Historical Society/Bowman Museum; Prineville, OR
About Crook County journal. (Prineville, Or.) 189?-1921 | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1917)
7AGE 2 CROOK COUNTY JOURNAL JULY 12, 1917 Workings of the Livestock Exchange North Portland Is Best Stock Market In Northwest It hag frequently been stated that ne of the reasons why congresses and state legislatures so often get p propositions that threaten the test system of marketing live stock ver yet devised is because our law makers and country savers have a wrong understanding of the organi sation and purposes of a live stock axchange. As a result of recent I roposed action againsU trade ex changes the secretary of the Nation al Live Stock Exchange was asked ay congressmen and senators to pre pare a statement of organization and purposes of live stock ex changes. Secretary Heinemann, of the National, in colaboration with Hr. Everett Brown, president of the Chicago Live Stock Exchange, has prepared the following statement de scriptive of the purposes and work fog of. live stock exchanges which should correct the mistaken idea that a live stock exchange is an in stittttion that deals in futures and juggles live stock prices in its ses sions. The statement is given in full herewith and should be laid away for frequent reading: Commission Men The live stock commission men Piling live stock at the open mar iets throughout the country act as the personal agent or representative tf the live stock producers. They perhaps perform more actual labor Jta connection with the handling of Ive stock shipments than is the case with any other commodity marketed. As statistics show, the small sums said them for commission represents the lowest commission on any com modity sold through brokers or rem mission men on which a broker age tee or commission charge is Ixed'. The commission man must turnish his patrons with personal narket advice letters and subscribe at his expense to market papers furnished gratis to such patrons. The- incoming shipments must be traced to insure prompt delivery, ind after arrival, the shipments are mloaded. sorted, yarded, fed and watered before being offered for sale, so that they will present the test possible appearanee. After pgotiating with the various com petitive buyers, the stock is weighed p, amount of sale collected and re sitted to the customer, and where jfiie animals are to be reshipped, airs must be ordered for loading and the stock delivered to the load Ins pens from the sales division, and when cars are placed, the commis moa men perform the loading serv ice. Claims for loss, damage and over charge are handled in behalf of the jatron by the commission man and t his expense. The commission Ben of the country are by far the largest factors engaged in financing and Increasing the production of Ttve- stock by advancing their own Honey to reliable feeders or by en lorsement of loans to such feeders sade by banks. Exchanges The live stock exchange is a vol untary association organized for the "f u"w ,i- f f fy ' '? , A." purpose of furnishing to its mem ber a convenient and suitable place to transact exchange business but not the business of the Individual members of promoting uniformity in the customs and usages of live stock commission merchants, of In culcatlng principles of justice and equity In trade, of facilitating the speedy adjustment of business dis putes, of acquiring and disseminat ing valuable commercial and eco nomic information, and generally of securing to its members the benefits of eoopration in the furtherance of their legitimate pursuits. In the exercise of its functions It does uot engage in business' nor is it organised for profit; it buys and sells no live sunk and has no finan cial Interest in the business transact ed between its members. It has nothing to do with the prices paid or received for live stock bought and sold by Us members, the prices being controlled or Influenced by supply, demand and competition. Among the work undertaken by the live stock exchanges may be mentioned the following: 1. Adoption and enforcement of rigid rules and severe penalties, thus forcing out unfair and un scrupulous dealers. 3. Adoption and enforcement of rules prohibiting cruelty to, or beat ing of animals marketed, thus avoid ing losses by reason of bruised or crippled animals. 3. Adoption of trading rules gov erning marketing transactions, thus assuring a clear ytle to live stock sold, making the commission man personally responsible. for sales made. 4. Adoption of rulwhich per mit every owner to sell his own stock when desired, or go upon the market for the purpose of buying such stock as he needs, thus pre venting any possible discrimination or mouopoly. j 5. Adoption and enforcement of rules preventing and forbidding fa-J voritism to shippers, so that the small Bhlnnap la U i'CCrH Of! IhA Mltll) privileges and enjoys the same benefits as the larger ones. 6. Adoption and enforcement of rules forbidding the sale of stock from one member to another of the same firm, for the purpose of de priving market patrons of the full ! selling price. i 7. Maintenance of a Court otj Appeals, to which any patron may ! apply without expense to himself ori without requiring attorneys, the committee affording justice to all J concernea auer a iuii anu uuwyieie hearing. 8. Adoption of rules establishing and supervising the dockage on hogs, which rules have effected a saving of millions of dollars for shippers by doing away with the former ruinous and unfair methods, and thus forbidding the buyer to dock as he deems best. 9. By providing a central office for handling general matters, dupli cation of expenses is avoided and economies are effected to the benefit of both patrons and commission concerns. 10. The local and national ex changes have instituted or interven ed in every case before the Inter state Commerce Commission in re cent years in assisting the live stock hlniun tA nhia n fair anH nrnnor ' rate adjustments and have thus suc ceeded in saving thousands of dol lars for such shippers without ad ditional profit to themselves. 11. Appointment of special com- i iswuM-xja - . ! -s" 'it . t--" " '. , i ".- WM. II. lUl'tiHTHKY i I N I - , 1 A m x A I President of the Portland Union Stockyards Company mitteos who constantly strive for Improved train service to and from all markets, and this committee may be credited with having participated in every important improvement In train serice to the open markets, 12. By subjecting all transac tions to the scrutiny of appointed committees, questionable methods are reduced to a minimum and transgressors are brought to justice in a manner calculated to discourage repetition. 13. By keeping in touch with proposed legislative matters, state and national, the exchange eudeav ors tov encourage legislation of a remedial character for the purpose of advancing, promoting and pro tecting the live stock Industry. 14. By establishment of rules controlling soliciting, they have done away with the former practice of Inexperienced solicitors misrepre senting market conditions, the rules requiring that solicitors siia.lt spend sufficient time in 'the markets to familiarize themselves with actual conditions. 15. The establishment and en forcement of uniform commission charges on the lowest possible basis prevents discrimination between large and small shippers, and elim inates temptation, present under the old . practice, whereby little or no commission would be charged, but where returns were not always made In full. 16. By investigating the charac ter of members prior to their admit tance to the exchange, the personal standing is of the highest, , as only men of good, solid business integrity and unqestionable financial responsi bility are admitted, and by the same token all crooked or dishonest ap plicants are denied admission. 17. By the concerted action of the commission men, packers were prevented from buying animals sub ject to post-mortem examination, this same action preventing a de struction of the great cash market, and the substitution of a credit market in lieu thereof. 18. Having forbidden or prevent ed unfair post-mortem rule, the commission men are now spending thousands of dollars in a national campaign for the eradication of diseases. 19. The enforcement of the mar keting rules placing the marketing of live stock upon a higher plane than that of any other commodity. Every sale is an actual sale and A Group of White V - T et V every transaction I sale lot rash, the proceeds returning to the ship per on the date of the sale, A't the larger markets raah sale of from one to two million dollars are Mde dally. SO. The gradual', evolution of marketing conditional under ttte guidance and supervision of live stock exchanges has resuttnd In such marked and beneficial changes In conditions that the market patron rarely deem It necessary to accom pany their shipments to market ex cept where other business la to he transacted after their arrival there. Special attention should he given to the fact that the live slock com mission merchants deal' only In a rush commodity and Unit the live stock exchanges of the Culled Slates should not be dunned with the ex changes that deal In futures, options and other speculative transactions. All sales of live stock In all of the markets in tho I'nlted Slates are mailt! strictly for cash, and over 95 per cent of these cash sales arc paid for by the buyer In cash Inside of five hours after the actual Halo la made. Promotion of the Live Stock lu ll list ry. The live stock commission men In the ten or twelve lurgest live slock markets In the country do more to encourage increased production and ' the extensive feeding of live stock ! than any one Interest In tho Unlcud I States. The commission man not j only loans his own money, hut en-1 dorses his name on millions of dol-' lars of commercial paper for feed ing cattle and hogs that could not be bought by the smaller farmer or renter in tho country unless a com mission man would stand hack of the financial end of the transaction. The flmvnclng of cattle feeding and the loans that are now known as "cattle 'paper" In all the great banks of the country not only stim ulate the feeding of cattle, hut make It possible. This method of financ ing Is peculiar only to the live stoukv industry, as the grain men do not have to loan money to the smaller farmers and feeders to cnulile thera to carry on business, where the Hve stock commission man often under takes risks in loaning this money, and in many Instances has sustained severe losses. It Is self-evident at this time that when our President and the entire Government are en couraging increased production, that this branch of the business! should receive every possible encourage ment. The Portland Live Stock Ex change Is the only branch exchange west of St. Paul or Denver. Commission Charges for Expert Services Live stock commission merchants charge only a modest fee; In return they give to the seller a remarkably efficient service in disposing of his live stock offerings to the best of advantage. The average charge is less than one per cent of sales, out of which they must pay .their adver tising, labor, office expense, etc. Commission charges at the Port land Union Stock Yards according to the rules of the Portland Live Stock Exchange, follow: Klnjile Animals i Cattle, 60 cents per head. Calves, 30 cents per head. Hogs, 20 cents per head. Faces in the Yards l T V' Growth of Cattle Indus- try in Central Oregon By T. H. The gnawing of radio Is the prin cipal live- stock Industry of Central Oregon and no ilnqlit will continue to- be. Th.f country was first stocked ae the time It was nettled In the sixties by cattle from the YYtllntn ellvi Valley. At that time the farmers were plowing up many of their pastures In the Willamette Valley to grow mora wheat and the surplus stock was driven across the mountains. This' first tc:k wits mostly of fair grade of cattle, many of thum carry ing Miciit Horn blood. Some registered bulls were turned Sheep, 20 cents per head. Hitiglo-Owk Cartond. ( Cnmtxcd) Oa tire, minimum $13. maximum 115, Calves, minimum flj. maximum $15. Hogs; minimum fl. maximum 110. Sheets minimum $10, maximum 10. Ifciuhle-lfcvk Cai-tuads. (Unmixed) Calves, minimum 111. maximum $21. Hogs, minimum $15, maximum $16. Sheep,, minimum $ IS. maximum $15. Mlwd Stuck In Carloads, Cattle, per head 60 cents; maxi mum $15. Calves;,, per head 30 cents; maxi mum, single dork $15. double deck $21. Hons, per head 20 cents; maxi mum (single deck) $16, Hogs per head 20 cents; maxi mum (double iterk) $15. Sheep, per head 20 cents; maxi mum (single deck) $10. Sheep, per head 20 cents; mail mum (double deck) $15. I Ann Tliuii Carloads, (Unmixed) Cattle, les than 12 head, $1 pr haL Carves, less than 24 head, 60 seats per bead. Hogs, less than 25 head, 40 cents prr head. Sheep, less than 60 head, 20 rents per head. I'am With More Than One Owner. The single animal rates govern. No more than the maximum charge Is charged anyone owner. The total maximum charge for each car of cattle, hogs or sheep shall not be more than $15 In any case. Commission for Putt-hanlng Live Mock SINGLE ANIMALS Cuttle, 50 cents per head. Sheep, 20 cents per head. CARLOTS. Cattle, minimum $10, ajitxlmum $12. Sheep, single decks, minimum $8, maximum $10. Sheep, double decks, minimum $12, maximum $15. Hogg as per agreement. J ENLIST the services of The Jour nal job department It you are In need of anything in the printing line. ;.4i Ufollette onto the range' which was veil adapted to this tmiistry. . For ninny years bat Hide Any was provided and the loviei wer com paratively light. There Were but few fences and the low lands along the streams were excellent grazing; gronnd during the wvere weather tn winter, The ahumtiint rye grass, grease wood and other natural feed along tl streams and the sweet sage and knee-deep hunch grrnui on the lii-nrlies usually were sufficient to bring stock through In good condi tion. AC least once In those early days all the steers on tho Crooked lllver range were sold for beef In Febru ary. They were driven to Th DulVcs enrfy In Murch ami shipped to Portland and Seatil. I'snally buyers would collect their herd early In the fall and drive down Into- the Sacramento Valley to sup ply the San Francisco market. From 1X72 to 1880 the prevailing prices were $20 per head for four-year-old steers and $15 for three-year-ulds; two-year-olds they did not want. If a steer was not good beef they would not lake him. IHiring those times a good cow with calf by her aid sold at $10 per head. That was the; usual price. From lXSO to the present time prices have Imen fluc tuating but steadily ad valuing. As the range failed and tho hot tod lands were fenced lr became, necessary to provide mar feed for winter until now but few ruttU; are Iwft to find their living on tit a range at! winter. Losses are greatly reduced and tni business Is on a more substan tial basis, Fenced pastures for early spring and fall are common and al lotments of graxlng privileges on forest reserves with rvaminabUt gov ernment regulation assures summer range sutllclent. Along with Improve methods of grazing and wintering- baa come Im provement In breeding. New blood of several of the beat htf breeds is constantly being in troduced. Many high priced bulla are brought In every year. Soma excellent pure beeit females also are frequently addvd to the pure bred herds. This la making a marked effect on the stock of the country. The acreage ' devoted to forage crops, especially alfalfa, la rapidly increasing. Thera la also a larga and steady Increase In grain crops. This has fed to the feeding of cattle for market until now soma of our cattlemen are second to none in that occupation. The Central Ore gon steer, and especially the Prine vllle steer, Is noted all over the west and very often tops the market. The future for the cattle business Is full of promise. Prices are aure to be very good for many ' years. The shortage of cattle stock tn all parts of the world insures this. Lower rates of Interest, Improved facilities for obtaining needed capi tal, better marketing conditions and steadily Increasing transportation facilities, all contribute to this end. IS