Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 318, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1920 — FARMERS SEEK FAIR RETURNS [ARTICLE]

FARMERS SEEK FAIR RETURNS

FAIR IN ■ - - .A'' , With s slogan, square deal for all," more than three hundred fifty Indiana live stock farmers met Indianapolis to discuss ways and means of eliminating what they charged were “unfair practices at the Indianapolis stockyards” and assuring a fair price to farmers for their stock. The meeting was calldd by Lewis Taylor, secretary of the Indiana Federation of Farmers’ Associations/ John, G. Brown, of Monon, president of the federation, explained the purpose of the meeting and what was hoped to be accomplished. Mr. Brown, was selected chairman of the meeting and Mr. Taylor secretary. Mr. < Brown said more than sl,000,000 had been lost by live stock farmers since August 1 and that Indiana farm ere-had lost their share. The only way to stop this loss, he said, and prevent a recurrence, was for tile live Stock farmers to organize, not for the purpose of abusing the power of organization, but to assure a square deal for aIL .“The farmers are the only persons in the world who have nothing to say as to their profits and losses. They ship their stock to the commission firms and the commission firm deals with the packers. When the deal is put through the commission man hands you a check, minus the freight, yardage ~ and commission, and you take it, without knowing what it is until you get it “It is this sort of thing that is driving our sons to the cities. Even older farmers are seeking positions or businesses where a certain profit is assured?' Mr. Taylor- then read -a letter

from J. R. Howard, of Clemens, la., president ofthe American Farm Bu'reau. Mr. Howard stated in his letter that he hoped some means could be demised for the farmers to form an organization to take over the stockyards all over the country, now that packers have relinquished them. This suggestion, he said, was made by several organizations. As a coinciddhce it was pointed out by Mr. Brown that hogs had gone up $1 a hundred since the public announcement of the meeting of the Indiana .live stock men. A report was made by Maurice Douglas, second vice-president of the Farmers’ Federation, who made' a trip of Inspection to Omaha, where the Nebraska .farmers have established a co-operative commission firm. According to the report the co-operative commission firm was established by the Farmers* Union, composed of 40,000 .Nebraska farmers, on April, 1917. It was fought by the live stock exchange at Omaha and was coolly received at first by the stock yards company and by the packers, the report said, but in the last nine months it handled more than 3,000 cars of stock valued at more than $9,000,000 and made a profit 0f'545,050. In the last year It has rebated to the shippers 46 percent of the profit, besides putting 5 percent, in a slush fund and 5 percent into the union general fund. The union has established cooperative firms at Kansas, City, Denver, Sioux City and St. Joseph, Mo., said Mr. Douglas. The success of the co-pperative commission' firm in the face of all obstacles is due partly, Mr. Douglas said, to the management, which is done by Charles Watt, now a farmer, but formerly a commission man. Conditions at the Indianapolis stock-yards are different than elsewhere, it was pointed out. -< A plan was presented by Mr. Brown for the live stotk producers to name a committee of ten,- representing each of the director districts of the farmers’ federation, which would work with the officers and directors of the federation in putting their plans in effect. "Then we can meet with representatives of the packers, the stockyards and the commission men and demand that they put their cards on the table face up, we will ours. We can do more than that. We can reserve the right to look up their sleeves to see if they have any cards hidden.” ■ —, — ———