PROCEEDINGS CORN BELT MEAT PRODUCERS' ASSN. 453 



put in charge of the organization work at Chicago; and on the 19th day 

 of June, the company opened for business, with S. W. Doty as manager, 

 and began selling live stock under the co-operative marketing plan 

 worked out by the Live Stock Marketing Committee of Fifteen, of which 

 your humble servant was vice-chairman. 



This company, as you doubtless know, is organized strictly on the 

 co-operative basis. It charges the same commissions as do members of 

 the Live Stock Exchange, and will refund annually to its shippers, who 

 become members, its surplus earnings. In this way, it not only reduces 

 the cost of selling your live stock, but it gives the live stock producers 

 direct representation on the market and an interest in their own market- 

 ing agency, which under the old system is impossible. 



The Chicago Producers' Commission Association has enjoyed sub- 

 stantial support from the first week that it opened for business; espe- 

 cially is this true of the Illinois shippers, and while Iowa has contrib- 

 uted a fair amount of business, yet, as compared with the percentage of 

 live stock we ship to the Chicago market, we have been sadly lacking in 

 furnishing our share of the business. For this reason, and in order that 

 you may become more familiar with the men and the operations of your 

 own commission association, Mr. Doty, the manager, will address you 

 later, more specifically, on the work they are doing at Chicago, with the 

 hope that it will greatly stimulate shipments from Iowa to the Producers' 

 Company at Chicago. 



Lower Commission Charges 



Many of you doubtless know that the Corn Belt Meat Producers' Asso- 

 ciation, in conjunction with some of the other live stock organizations, 

 is now engaged in an effort to secure a reduction in the present schedule 

 of commission charges for selling live stock. 



The latter part of October, we assisted in conducting the first hear- 

 ing in the case which was held at Kansas City before Messrs. Dagger and 

 Gore, representing the Packer and Stockyards Administration of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture. This hearing was entirely informal; those rep- 

 resenting the live stock shippers and those representing the commission 

 men presenting their side of the case in a purely informal way. It is the 

 desire of Messrs. Dagger and Gore, who will hear the case, to conduct 

 similar hearings at each of the larger markets, and after this is done, 

 and the evidence thoroly analyzed, they will endeavor to work out what 

 seems to them to be a reasonable and just schedule of commission 

 charges. If this course is pursued, the case will doubtless be long- 

 drawn-out and no "definite conclusions will be reached for some time in 

 the future. 



Now as we go through this report, if there are any of you who wish to 

 ask questions, don't think it will embarrass me a particle. If I read on 

 for some time, you may forget something that might flash through your 

 mind, and if you want to inquire about anything, I will be glad to take 

 it up just at the time. 



Membership Campaign 

 During the fall, in connection with our other duties, we did soma 

 field work in securing renewals and new members for your association. 



