48 THE HIGH COST OF LIVING 



the price paid for cattle by the packers during the 

 primary market season had ranged from $7.50 to 

 $8.05 per 100 pounds. They asserted that the 

 prices paid are so manipulated that the prices are 

 very low during the months when they have to sell 

 their cattle, while during the months when the pack- 

 ers realize on their sales the prices are artificially 

 high. 



The cattle-raisers ship in their cattle from the 

 ranges to the stock-yards of the various cities where 

 the packing-houses are located. Each morning the 

 price of cattle on the hoof is fixed by the buyers for 

 the various establishments, who meet for the purpose. 

 This the cattlemen can accept or reject. But the 

 only other market is in a distant city and it, too, is 

 under the same ownership. So the cattleman has 

 to sell at the price which is offered or take his cattle 

 back home. This in many cases he cannot do, for 

 he has borrowed money from the bank to feed and 

 market his stock. 



The stock-raisers attribute their helplessness to 

 the control of the cattle business by the four or five 

 companies which dominate the business. For there 

 are no public slaughter-houses and there is no com- 

 petition among buyers. The packers fix the price 

 paid the producer at one end of the transaction and 

 the price charged the consumer at the other. They 

 manipulate and control prices at will. The killing 

 and packing of cattle is centred in Chicago, Kansas 



