PACKEES AND STOCKYARDS ADMINISTRATION. 665 



The activities of tlie market supervisors in the field consist largely 

 of matters that come under this division and man}' of the accom- 

 plishments reported as constituting a part of the work of this divi- 

 sion have been results of activities by division or district supervisors. 



Work of this division covered by formal proceedings will be found 

 described in the portion of this report devoted to the docket pro- 

 ceedings. 



STATE REGULATIONS. 



One of the serious problems which required special attention in 

 the early part of the fiscal year involved a situation that started in 

 the latter part of the previous fiscal year with reference to certain 

 statutes of the State of Minnesota passed prior to the enactment of 

 the packers and stockyards act, which vested in the railroad and 

 warehouse commission of that State authority to supervise the mar- 

 keting activities at stockyards. This matter was raised through 

 complaints submitted on behalf of shippers outside of Minnesota, 

 with reference to the imposition of a certain charge per head by the 

 State for weighing livestock in the market. 



An opinion was rendered by the attorney for the Packers and 

 Stockyards Administration to the effect that the packers and stock- 

 yards act, 1921, superseded the State law. This opinion was upheld 

 by the Attorney General of the United States, but was questioned 

 by the State until it could be passed upon by the Supreme Court of 

 the United States. In the meantime litigation in the State and 

 Federal courts was instituted between the stockyards company, the 

 commission men, and the State. An arrangement was entered into 

 during August, 1922, whereby the weighing service would continue 

 to be performed b}- the State weighers, but the stockyards company 

 assumed the expense without extra cost to patrons of the market, 

 saving them about $70,000 a year. This arrangement, which became 

 effective August 15, 1922, was brought about through the efforts of 

 the Packers and Stockyards Administration. A memorandum of 

 understanding was drawn up and signed by representatives of the 

 Department of Agriculture, the State Eailroad and Warehouse Com- 

 mission of Minnesota, and the St. Paul Union Stockyards Co., set- 

 ting forth definitely the conditions under which the weighing of 

 livestock should be performed during the period of this arrange- 

 ment and recognizing the supervisory authority of the Secretary of 

 Agriculture. 



The St. Paul Union Stockyards Co. and the State Railroad and 

 Warehouse Commission agreed that the St. Paul Union Stockyards 

 Co. would pay the wages of certain State employees connected with 

 the weighing and other expenses incidental thereto for a period of 

 one year from the effective date of the agreement, during which 

 time it was agreed that all litigation involving the State and Federal 

 authority in connection with this whole matter would be expedited 

 by the parties in every reasonable wa}^ in order that the whole con- 

 trovers}' might be settled finally. Final settlement had not been 

 reached at the close of the fiscal year, although the attention of all 

 parties had been directed during the latter part of the year to the 

 approaching expiration of the agreement; but this temporary ad- 

 justment had the effect of preventing injurious interruption to the 

 marketing process at the St. Paul market. 



