ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV. 175 



What will that advance do? It will tend to destroy eastern com- 

 petition and prevent its development, and will further intrench 

 the packers of Chicago in their position of supremacy. This will 

 he true unless a similar advance is made on packing house products. 

 They do propose an advance; but while the advance on livestock 

 is around fifteen to twenty per cent that on packing house prod- 

 ucts is about ten per cent — a margin between the two 

 of from five to ten per cent. But in addition to that, the Chicago 

 packer has assured the public that the consumer will not have to 

 bear the burden of this advance, mounting up to a fabulous sum of 

 money. Now, the Chicago packer is generally given credit for 

 having pretty good sense. He ought to know what he is talking 

 about. Not very often has he been engaged in philanthropic en- 

 terprises. Who do you suppose is going to pay that advance? I 

 have a sneaking suspicion that perhaps a few producers around 

 this country will have to foot the bill. If the packer doesn't and 

 the consumer doesn't, you must. Now, does the United States of 

 America want to put an additional burden on this great livestock 

 industry? Is that good public policy? I think the meat eaters of 

 the United States will say, when that situation is thoroughly ex- 

 posed, "No!" most positively. 



Now I am through. The relations that have existed between you 

 and me during the past few years have been most delightful. You 

 have backed me up at every critical moment when I needed help ; 

 you have been true to me, and I love you all. 



The convention thereupon adjourned to 2:00 o'clock p. m. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



The ratification of the nomination of directors in the odd- num- 

 bered districts was taken up, and the following declared duly 

 elected: First district, J. M. Brockway; third district, David 

 Muier; fifth district, W. G-. Alcorn; seventh district, T. A. Thorn- 

 burg; ninth district, Hamilton Wilcox; eleventh district, Will 

 Drury. 



The President: We will take up for a few moments the ques- 

 tion of service on livestock trains. I went into that quite exten- 

 sively in my report, and told you what we are going to try to do 

 in the future. Several of the boys have filed complaints in regard 

 to service since they came here. 



Mr. Goodenow : The sheep men on the Northwestern have been 

 neglected for some time. Only in a few instances has that road 



