552 TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 



live stock from the regions of production to market or to check or divert 

 its own movement while en route or to limit the offering of it upon arrival, 

 all with the aim of bringing about a more even distribution of the avail- 

 able supplies. All such methods may be classed under three general 

 heads of country control, reservoir method of control and market control. 

 Country control is any method that seeks to restrict loadings of live 

 stock at country shipping points, either as temporary measures to relieve 

 temporary market congestion or as a part of a worked out plan for the 

 seasonable movement of some particular kind or class of live stock or 

 from particular regions of production. 



Such a method has many strong points to recommend it and also some 

 admitted weaknesses. Among the former are: 1, That it keeps the sur- 

 plus supply in the country where it can be carried the cheapest and where 

 there is ordinarily less pressure to have it moved. 2. It keeps the supply 

 in the hands of the producer who has a more vital interest in the price 

 than any other factor in the industry. 3. It keeps the supply where it can 

 be most easily diverted from one market or channel to another. 4. It 

 keeps the supply where its depressing influence on the market is the last. 

 5. It is a method in which the semblance of outside autocratic control is 

 smallest. 



Among its weaknesses are: 1. That it keeps the supply where it is the 

 most difficult to control its movements — to halt or start it. 2. To operate 

 efficiently it requires much more detailed organization and hence probably 

 less chances of success in accomplishments. 3. Unless the whole number 

 of producers can be organized and brought under the control it must be 

 attempted with only a part of the supply, which also reduces the chances 

 of success. 



There are a number of ways by which, either singly or in combination, 

 such control could be brought about or attempted. All of these assume 

 some organization of producers, or primarily of such, competent to secure 

 and interpret available market information, and having secured the con- 

 fidence of the great body of producers through demonstrated ability. The 

 first of these, and the simplest, is by means of advice and requests to ship- 

 pers to hold back or to forward supplies, but with no authority to enforce 

 its decisions nor adequate means of bringing about concerted action. An- 

 other method, and one that has been strongly urged in some quarters, is 

 that of our distribution control or transportation embargo. A third is by 

 the building up of a unified or federated organization of producers that 

 can control the flow of live stock to leading points. and the movement out 

 of them. And a fourth is by the organization of limited classes of pro- 

 ducers along commodity or regional lines to market their supplies accord- 

 ing to a prearranged program based on the knowledge of the number to 

 be available and the past and probable future actions of the markets. 

 None of these plans have ever been given a practical try out in the live 

 stock industry. Argument for or against them must be based either upon 

 their success or failure in the marketing of other commodities or upon 

 their theoretical applicability to the actual situation in the live stock in- 

 dustry. 



The reservoir method is the second possible method of control. This 



