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GREETINGS TO WESTERN STOCKMEN
AND
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OeML
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UNION STOCK YARDS
SOUTH OMAHA, NEBR
SAFE
SOUND
PROGRESSIVE
ACCOMMODATING
IV
OFFICES ALSO AT KANSAS CITY AND CHICAGO
THF NEBRASKA STOCK
GROWERS' ASSOCIATION
AVhy You Should Join an Association that Pays
Every Member Big Returns for Small
Annual Expense.
If Nebraska stockmen, especially cattle and horse men, knew
raoro of the good work done by the Nebraska Stock Growers Associ
ation and the benefit already derived from the service rendered by
the organization, and if they understood fully the work yet to be done
l)y the association, The Herald doubts not that the membership would
1)0 doubled or trebled within a very short time, as it should be.
We have in previous issues given reasons wh ythe membership
of the N. S- G. A. ought to be largely increased, and give a few here
with. "NVe shall publish more detailed information on some points in
succeeding issues of this paper, whihe will include the issue during
the annual convention.
Expenses of the Association
The expenses of the association and its work are paid by a com
paratively few, the membership being only about four hundred.
There are more than three thousand persons in Nebraska engaged in
stock raising, or directly interested in the industry, who ought to be
members of the association. If they would all join for the ensuing
year by the time of the annual convention in June, the membership
fee could be reduced to an amount that would be insignificant.
The annual dues for each member at the present time are $2.50
plus three cents per head of cattle and horses assessed in the state at
the last assessment. The average number of head owned by the mem
bers is about 350, or perhaps a little less. The average annual dues
is now about $12.50. With the membership doubled the expenses of
the association would not be materially increased, hence the average
membership dues would be practically cut in two, making only a little
more than six dollars for the man with three hundred and fifty to four
hundred head of stock, less than two cents per head.
With the membership increased five-fold, as it should be, the ex
penses of the association would not be more than double what they
are now, in fact would not be double, so that the average dues would
be but little more than one cent per head, practically nothing to the
prosperous stockman.
Some readers may want to know why the expenses of the associ
ation will be increased only a comparatively small amount even with
a large increase in the membership. The reason is that some of the
expenses of conducting the affairs of the association are the same, or
about the same, with a small membership that they would be with a
large membership.
The main item of expense is that paid for brand inspection at
the open markets. This expense is, in fact, more than all the other
expenses of the association combined. A lump sum is paid, so much
per year without reference to the number of head inspected or the
number of members of the association. Hence it is easy to see how
' an increase in the number of members of the association will decrease
the annual dues per member.
Benefits of Brand Inspection
As to the benefit of brand inspection, no stockman who has re
ceived its protection would think of bring without it for the smal
cost of membership in the Nebraska Stock Growers Association. The
direct benefits derived from brand inspection are for the members
of the association, but other stockmen are indirectly benefitted, as we
will show, and ought to help.bear the expense. The law of Nebraska
provides for the recording of stock brands in the office of the secre
tary of state, Every ranchman in the state who has his brand re
corded, and re-recorded every period of five years, is legally entitled
to the exclusive use in Nebraska of the brand or brands so recorded.
All branded cattle shipped from Nebraska to South Omaha and other
open markets are inspected by expert brand inspectors, who are pro
vided with an abstract of the brands of the members of the Nebraska
Stock Growers Association, the expense of the inspection being paid
by the association from funds derived from the annual dues.
When cattle are found in any shipment bearing a brand that be
longs to a member of the N. S. G. A. but not to the shipper, unless
the shipper can show a bill of sale for them, they are cut out and the
money for them is returned to the owner instead of being paid to the
shipper. It would surprise most people to learn how many cattle are
found in shipments where they do not belong and how much money
is returned each year to the rightful owners. Some years the amount
runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cattle get into
wrong shipments in two ways, by mistake and by being stolen, most
frequently by mistake. Brands are some times indistinct and can be
accurately discerned only by removing the hair, as is done when
necessary by the official brand inspectors at the stock yards. Estrays
get among the cattle of ranchmen who do not know but what they are
part of their herds; and even if they do know that the cattle are not
theirs, it is difficult for them to ascertain to whom they belong unless
the owner is a member of the association.
Brand Inspection Stops Cattle Stealing
There was a time before the Nebraska Stock Growers Associa
tion was organized when rustling cattle was an important industry
in this state. It is still carried on to some extent, but the wise thief
avoids taking anything belonging to members of the N. S. G. A. He
might steal a steer belonging to a member and get away with it by
skinning it and burning the hide, but he can't ship it to an open mar-
Ket without getting caught, something that occurred recently in
Cherry county, Nebr., serves as a good illustration of the difference
it makes to a cattle thief in Nebraska whether the stuff stolen be
longs to a member of the association or not.
A load of cattle was stolen and shipped to South Omaha. They
were branded but the owner was not a member of the association
Had he been, the money for the cattle would have been returned to
him, instead of being paid to the thief, who would have been un
doubtedly caught. When the owner of the cattle discovered his loss,
he made an investigation and after much work and expense, that
would not have been needed had he been a member of the association
he learned that his cattle had been sold in South Omaha to an Iowa
feeder.
Other Reasons for Joining Association
There are other splendid reasons why all Nebraska ranchmen
and others interested in the live stock industry in this state should
join the association, all of which cannot be mentioned in one issue o
the paper. Brand inspection is a matter of great importance to all
who are in danger at any time of losing their cattle by being stolen
or straying. Some of the good work of the association benefits
stockmen who are not members as well as those who are, by making
it dangerous for cattle thieves to try to operate in this state, but no
one has a right to expect the benefit of brand inspection provided
and paid for by the association unless he is a member.
Many other benefits of membership in the N. S. G. A. might be
enumerated, but they can all be included, in a general way, in the
good that comes to any line of industry or business when those en
gaged in it are in touch with each other. They are ready then to
act conjunctively on short notice when occasion requires, which would
Necessity of Union Among Stockmen
"In: union there is strength." It is evident that there ought to
ie closer union among the live stock interests. Persons who are not
posted on what has already been accomplished by the Nebraska Stock
Growers Association will be surprised by an investigation. While
the expenses of the organization have been borne by a comparatively
few (the membership being composed of only a small part of the
stockmen of the state), the work done has not only more than repaid
the members but has either directly or indirectly benefitted those who
are not members.
Nebraska is called an agricultural state, but it is more than that.
It is one of the leading stock growing states. There is no part of the
state where the raising of live stock is not an important industry, but
in a large part of the state stock raising is of vastly more import
ance than crop growing. As the land becomes deeded eventually
that which is good only, or principally, for grazing will go back into
the hands of stockmen, under deeds from the homesteaders; and
when they own the land they will raise a better grade of stuff than
they did with free range and free pasture. This with better winter
feed and care will immensely increase the value of-the products of
the "ranch country"; while cattle and hogs will never cease to be
raised in abundanee in those parts of our state where corn and alfalfa
are the leading agricultural products.
Organization a Oood Thing
This is an age in which interests succeed, not by fighting among
themselves or being indifferent towards each other, but by working
together for the accomplishment of a given purpose. Co-operation
among those engaged in the same industry or business spells success.
Organization is an important factor for the promotion of co-operation.
It is not possible to obtain as great results without proper
organization as with it. For this reason The Herald strongly advises
all Nebraska stockmen to join the Nebraska Stock Growers Associa
tion. The cost of membership is insignificant in proportion to the
benefits derived, and the larger the membership the less will be tbe
cost to the individual member. The splendid work of the association'
and the benefits to the live 6tock interests of the state are not as fully
appreciated as they should be.
If you want to know more about the Nebraska Stock Growers
Association and its members, read The Herald.
Legislation and Quarantine
Matters of legislation arise from time to time affecting the live
stock industry. Stockmen know better than anybody else what it to
their interests and to what they are entitled. An individual request
or protest has little or no weight compared with the influence of a
demand from a nonpartisan organization composed of leading citi
zens of the state.
There have been times when the work of the association in mat
ters pertaining to the eradication of disease, quarantine, etc., have
been of more value to the live stock interests than the cost of running
the organization. The officers are men of executive ability who are
competent to handle matters coming before them for their attention.
I hey shouia have the backing of all who are interested in animal in
dustry. "Do It Now"
This issue of The Herald is sent to a large number of ranchmen
who are not members of the Nebraska Stock Growers Association. No
doubt many of them will decide to join the association, but "procras
tination is the thief of time." NOW is the time to take some action
in the matter. The payment of annual dues entitles to membership
from the time of the annual convention in June to the next annual
convention the following June. There is encouragement in numbers
If you have decided to become a member, write IMMEDIATELY to
Hon. Chas. C. Jameson, Secretary, Ellsworth, Nebr., and inform him
of your intention. If you choose to do so, you mav enclo vmn-
at the rate of $2.50 plus three cents per head of horses
he nractieallv imrtnssihln without nrf anirntinn
- I - 1 -" . . . v v i i l j
As there will be some readers of this number of The Herald who i check lor dues
did not read an article in The Herald some months airo. and as mat- and cattle assessed in Nebraska this year. The eheet will
ters of vital importance were mentioned therein, we wish to reprint ed on dues for the year commencing at the close of the annual con
a part of it as follows: ' (Continued on page Three)
