88 Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



$30 to $40 per ton. The commission charges for selling cattle at 

 Chicago are as follows: Cattle in car lots, 90 cents per head; mini- 

 mum per car $18, maximum $24. Calves in car lots 40 cents per head ; 

 single-deck cars, minimum $18, maximum $24; double-deck cars, mini- 

 mum $26, maximum $30. Less than 15 cattle in one car, $1.25 per 

 head. Less than 28 calves in one car, 60 cents per head. 



Government supervision.— On August 15, 1921, Congress passed 

 the Packers and Stock Yards Act v^hich gives the Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture supervision of packers and all others engaged in business at public 

 stock yards. In his annual report for 1921 ^ Secretary Henry C. 

 Wallace states that by this act "the packers are prohibited from any 

 unfair, unjustly discriminatory, or deceptive practices or devices," and 

 "commission merchants, persons furnishing stock yards services, and 

 dealers at yards are required to establish, observe, and enforce just, rea- 

 sonable, and nondiscriminatory rates." Fines are provided as penal- 

 ties. Packers and others may appeal to the courts in case of dispute. 

 The rulings of the Secretary are not final unless upheld by the courts. 



Cooperation in live-stock marketing. — During recent years the 

 cooperative movement in the production and marketing of agricultural 

 products has made great strides in the United States. In the live- 

 stock industry this movement has taken the form of cooperative 

 shipping associations, commission companies, v^^ool pools, bull associa- 

 tions, cow-testing associations, consignment sales of purebred live stock, 

 and breeders' associations for collective advertising, selling, etc. Pro- 

 ducers have also cooperated to establish and operate creameries, pack- 

 ing plants, and other manufactures of live-stock products. 



The cooperative live-stock shipping association is an organization 

 of producers tributary to a local shipping point. The association ap- 

 points a manager who loads and ships carload lots of stock made up 

 by members, receives reports and proceeds of sales, and apportions the 

 proceeds to members. For his services the manager receives a com- 

 mission on each carload. Each member's animals are marked to dis- 

 tinguish them and when sold at the market they are weighed separately, 

 and, if necessary, are also sold separately. If the carload is uniform, 

 separate selling may not be required. This system gives the small 

 producer with a few animals the opportunity to sell his stock on the 

 central market. Without it the small producer must sell his stock 

 locally, either to the local stock buyer, local butcher, or near-by feeder. 

 Shipping associations often buy feed cooperatively, and sometimes buy 

 live stock cooperatively. 



As early as 1908 a cooperative shipping association was organized 

 at Litchfield, Minn., and during the 14 years ending in 1921 this 



^U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook, 1921, pp. 33, 34. 



