﻿LlVE-STOCK SHIPPING ASSOCIATIONS. 47 



minimum weight. The matter of getting the proper weight into 

 the car is often a difficult problem for the manager to solve. Even 

 though the member is under contract and delivers the exact number 

 of head of live stock listed, his estimates of the weight are often 

 wide bf the mark. The result is a constant swinging from short- 

 weight to overloaded cars. The properly loaded car is, of course, 

 not necessarily the one which contains at least the minimum weight. 

 In fact, experience seems to show that, particularly in the case of 

 hogs, the saving in freight cost resulting from loading to the 

 minimum weight or over it is frequently more than counterbalanced 

 by excessively heavy shrinkage and losses due to dead and crippled 

 animals. 



The alternative of shipping a short-weight partly-filled carload 

 of hogs, cattle, or sheep is of course to ship a mixed load. 11 When 

 the manager has a choice, his problem is to decide which is the 

 more economical alternative. Many communities, however, pro- 

 duce live stock in such quantities and in such proportions that the 

 mixed carload is the rule rather than the exception. In this case 

 the manager's problem is to select such proportions of two or more 

 different kinds of live stock as will reduce the freight burden to 

 the minimum. 



From observations made, it would seem that this problem is not 

 generally understood, and that relatively little attention is given 

 to an effort to obtain just the right mixture which can be shipped 

 at the lowest costs. It is probable that careful study of the proper 

 load will reflect as large savings to the shippers as can be made in 

 any other way. 



ILLUSTRATIVE TRANSACTIONS. 



Note. — See Figure 8 for cash journal entries for the following 

 transactions. 



For the purpose of this illustration, it is assumed that totals have 

 accumulated in the different accounts as indicated below, as a result 

 of the business transacted up to November 1, 1921. This business is 

 assumed to consist of livestock handled as summarized on the first 

 line in the shipment summary record (see p. 9). Eighty shares of 

 capital stock at $5 per share have been sold; $300 have been bor- 

 rowed at the bank, and $1,000 have been invested in scales and other 

 equipment. The manager has been paid in full and the deductions 

 for local car expenses just equal the amount which has been dis- 

 bursed for this purpose. The totals which have accumulated are 

 shown in the following trial balance. 



Trial balance November 1, 1921. 



Debits. Credits. 



Bank $172, 655. 49 $172. 079. 47 



Live stock 170, 965. 03 170, 965. 03 



Manager's commission 2, 070. 09 2, 070. 09 



Insurance fund (including railway claims) 1,226.00 2,025.51 



Local car expense 578. 60 578. 60 



Federation dues 55. 00 



Undivided balance 8.96 12.47 



11 The freight on a mixed load of live stock is calculated at the highest rate based on 

 the highest minimum represented by the live stock in the car. 



