$22 AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



ever seeing the animals until unloaded on arrival. Considering, also, 

 that the checks are made out and the charges deducted by the com- 

 mission men themselves, it would appear that there is a good oppor- 

 tunity for fraud. In the first place, however, a firm will not get trade 

 unless it has a good reputation, and since there is keen competition 

 for shipments among commission men, there is every inducement to 

 be square and to show as good results as possible. Second, the firms 

 are combined into an exchange with fixed rules to govern trading, and 

 these rules are strictly enforced. Any man can get a chance to do 

 business in the yards, but unless his reputation is good he will not be 

 admitted to the exchange, and the buyers can readily regulate their 

 bids so as to prevent him from getting any business. To safeguard 

 the shipper further, a $20,000 bond is given by each firm to the 

 exchange. With all these precautions, with the keen competition 

 between firms, and with the speculators ready to steady the market, 

 the shipper can be sure that these experienced men are able to procure 

 more for his stock than he can get himself. Moreover, those who 

 deal often in the yards consider the commission men as their friends 

 and advisers, and in many instances the commission men advance 

 money to them for buying feeders. 



165. SELLING CHEESE ON THE DAIRY BOARD 1 

 BY H. C. TAYLOR 8 



Eight dairy boards were in operation in Wisconsin in 1912. They 

 were located at Plymouth, Sheboygan, Appleton, Seymour, Lone 

 Rock, Muscoda, Highland, and Mineral Point. The movement began 

 in 1873, and by 1890 there were eighteen such boards in operation. 

 There was some falling off in the years following, but in 1898 a return 

 to the same high figure. In the next year it dropped to thirteen, 

 which was the average of the succeeding decade, but since 1908 there 

 has been still further 'decline. 



The board meeting is usually held in a room temporarily set apart 

 for that purpose in a hotel or some other building, where a blackboard 

 is provided and where there is room for the sellers and buyers to sit 

 in front of the blackboard. Offerings of cheese are posted on this 



x Adapted from Bulletin 231, Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 pp. 10-14. 



a W. A. Schoenfeld and G. S. Wehrwein, joint authors. 



