MARKET METHODS AND PROBLEMS 521 



chase for shipment to other markets. In Chicago one other class of 

 order buyers makes a strong demand for good, heavy cattle. Ortho- 

 dox Jews are not supposed to eat beef that has been killed over three 

 days, and as a result many "Kosher" cattle, as they are called, are 

 bought for shipment to New York on foot, this demand tending to 

 keep up the price. 



With these possible purchasers before him, the commission man 

 plans how best to sort the cattle, and dickers with prospective cus- 

 tomers, holding out for as much as he thinks he* can get. Finally, a 

 buyer rides into the pen and looks the stock over. "I'll give $7 .90" 

 (per hundredweight). "They're worth $8.15 today," the commission 

 man replies. The buyer shakes his head and starts to leave. "Eight 

 even," he calls back. "Eight and a nickel," the commission man 

 concedes. "Weigh 'em," from the buyer, and the deal is over. No 

 binding memorandum is made of the trade until night, when each sale 

 is registered, together with price, name of firms, and weights. After 

 the deal is closed, the cattle are run over the scales and weighed by 

 the stockyards company. By means of a patent device, a cardboard 

 slip is inserted in the scale and into it is impressed the weight of the 

 load. Such recorded weights are accurate and official. 



With weight and selling price at hand, the commission firm makes 

 out the check due the shipper on his load. Although the packers pay 

 cash to the commission firms, the latter often mail checks to country 

 shippers before they actually receive their pay from the packers. 

 Fixed charges are assessed against each head of stock sold in the yards 

 and consist of a commission, a fee for yardage, and one for feed. 

 These, together with freight, terminal charge, insurance, and inspec- 

 tion in case of hogs, are deducted by the commission men from 'the 

 selling price of the stock before the check is remitted to the shipper, or 

 deposited to the shipper's account, as the case may be. 



Yardage fees are 25 cents per steer, or nearly 2 . 5 cents per hun- 

 dred; hogs, 8 cents per head, or 3.5 cents per hundred; and sheep, 

 5 cents per head or about 6 cents per hundred. Feed costs from 

 2 to 3 cents per hundred pounds live weight. Commission fees for 

 selling are $10.00 per 22,000 pound car of cattle, or 4.5 cents per 

 hundred; hogs, $8 . oo per 17,000 pound car, or 4 . 7 cents per hundred; 

 and sheep, $8.00 per 12,000 pound car, or 6.7 cents per hundred. 



Many loads come in and are sold by the firms to which they are 

 consigned without the owner's being in or near the yards. Also many 

 orderfe for feeders are filled by the commission men without the buyer's 



