672 ANNUAL REPOETS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Weighing up is indulged in to a limited extent, but no carloads are weighed 

 up if satisfactory buyers can be found. 



The scales are kept in first-class condition and sufficient in number to serve 

 the requirements. Weighmasters are careful in giving full and correct weights. 



Boycotting is an unknown problem here. 



Buyers have agreed to pay the same price for reactor cattle as for similar 

 grades of nonreactors. 



No yardage charge is made for removing dead carcasses from cars. 



Quality of both hay and grain fed at the yards is good. 



The management of the stockyards has required all of its employees to dis- 

 continue the use of prod poles and has substituted cloth slappers. This has 

 eliminated much abuse. The employees seem to like the slappers. 



Rebating, apparently, has been entirely eliminated. 



Sanitary conditions are good. 



The administration is receiving strong cooperation from the management 

 of the yards, who expressed the opinion that the administration has accom- 

 plished much good at this market. 



Another supervisor reports : 



There are undoubtedly better market conditions at this mai-ket than there 

 were 10 months ago. The most gratifying thing to me is that shippers are 

 distinguishing in favor of the market agencies that render the more efficient 

 and satisfactory service. It seems that the better class has taken a very 

 decided stand against questionable pi-actices, and they are being rewarded in 

 their efforts to clean up the market. I have tried to impress upon these people 

 that a reputation for efficiency and squareness is their biggest asset ; that a 

 customer who has been badly treated is often a knocker on the market as well 

 as on the commission man who is to blame for the bad treatment ; and that 

 the reputation of one man, in a measure, reflects on the entire market. The 

 stockyards company recognizes this and is making an effort to assist in making 

 this a clean market. In my association with shippers I have attempted to give 

 them correct information as to market practices and conditions, and on several 

 occasions have been able to convince a dissatisfied shipper that he was fairly 

 treated and had no cause for complaint. I have attempted to make the men 

 here feel that the Packers and Stockyards Administration would be a useful 

 partner in building up a reputation for honest and efficient service if they 

 would do their part in making it so. 



Other practices have been dealt with effectively, to the obvious 

 benefit of the markets concerned, as well as the patrons thereof, such 

 as the practice of trading in livestock by stockyard employees, the 

 elimination through traders' exchanges of traders found to be irre- 

 sponsible, and features of a similar character. 



AUDITS AND ACCOUNTS. 



This division audited and reported on the financial affairs of 465 

 commission concerns (market agencies) at the 23 markets named 

 below : 



Arabi, La. (New Or- Fort Worth, Tex. New York, N. Y. 



leans). Indianapolis, Ind. Oklahoma City, Okla. 



Baltimore, ]Md. Jersey City, N. J. Omaha, Nebr. 



Buffalo, N. Y. Kansas City, Mo. St. Paul, Minn. 



Chicago, 111. Louisville, Ky. San Antonio, Tex. 



Cleveland, Ohio. Milwaukee, Wis. Sioux City, Iowa. 



Denver, Colo. Nashville, Tenn. Sioux Falls, S. Dak. 



Detroit, Mich. National Stock Yards, 111. Wichita, Kans. 



In addition to these audits, quarterly reports on a uniform basis of 

 classification were required as to income and expenses and financial 

 status of all commission agencies at all markets. 



