Omaha Regains
Place as Second
Stock Market
Receipts for First Six Months
of 1923 Show Substantial
Gains Over Same Pe
riod Last Year.
The outstanding feature of livestock
receipts at Omaha for 1923 is that the
local market has regained its stand
ing as next to the largest livestock
market In the world, being second
only to Chicago. During 1922, owing
largely to excessive receipts of cattle
from the southwest, Kansas City
ousted Omaha from second position,
but during the last six months Oma
ha has more than regained its stand
ing and indications are now that the
local market is firmly fixed in second
place.
During the last six months Omaha
has received, in round numbers, a to
tal of 838,000 cattle, 2,023,000 hogs
and 1,275,000 sheep, or an Increase
over the corresponding six months in
1922 of 85,000 cattle, 485,000 hogs and
292,000 sheep. These figures not
only show the steady and substantial
growth of the Omaha livestock mar
ket, but rIso that the stock farmer
of the west is “coming back." Follow
ing the discouraging conditions in
1920-1921, when many farmers were
put out of business, the stock farmer
"carried on" successfully, although
with very little profit to show for his
work.
Livestock Receipts.
The following table shows receipts
of cattle, hogs and sheep for the last
•lx months as compared with receipts
for ths first half of 1922:
, 1223. Cattla Hogs. Sheer.
January ... 151,008 867,986 246,4o8
February .. 119,649 238.068 250,987
Starch . 133.835 411,098 265,646
April . 148,894 333,284 205,074
May . 147,886 287,305 209,281
June . 130,000 276,000 108,000
I Moe. ’»S , . 837,969 2,022,728 1,275,926
_ 1922. Cattle. Tioga. Sheap.
January ... 113,967 278,181 202,666
Feburary .. 116,917 280,235 175,056
March . 129.143 .229,806 176,866
April . 109.446 202,626 131,767
May . 147,683 287,305 209,281
June . 139,218 318,002 141,140
9 Moa. •»!.. 763,076 1,637,074 *~98 2.m
Increase . 84,893 486,664 292,211
Cattle Higher Than In 1932.
Notwithstanding the very marked
increase In cattle receipts this year,
there haa been great improvement In
prices as compared with the first half
of 1922. It Is during the first half
of the year that the bulk of the corn
fed cattle Is marketed from the feed
lots of Nebraska. Iowa and South
Dakota and prices so far this year
compared with ths same period last
year show advances ranging $1 to 8
per hundredweight. At ths beginning
of the year, fat cattle were nearly $3
higher than s year ago, while this
rnoifth eattle are selling imumd II.B0
higher than a year ago.
The better prices paid for cornfed
cattle this year are undoubtedly due
to the Improvement In commercial and
industrial conditions throughout the
country. There has been practically
no export demand for cattle or beef
and the market has been subject
* 1 most entirely to domestic conditions.
The outstanding feature of ths trade
for the last six months has been the
active buying of eattle here by east
ern shippers. This demand never has
been as keen or tug broad as It has
been for the last few month* and as
a consequence eastern packers and
butchers have come to know more of
Nebraska cornfed beef than ever be
fore.
Prices Compared.
A comparison of tha top prices
paid for cornfed cattle each month
■luring the last six months as com
pared with the corresponding months
of 1922 is shown below:
1121 1222
January ... Ill no 18.26
February .. 9 66 8.69
March . I 49 8 76
April . 9.8ft 8 49
May . 119 58 8 75
June . 11.90 9 61
During the latter half of the year,
receipts will consist mors largely of
western rang# cattle and Indications
are that supplies will be fully as large
as a year ago, If not larger. There
perhaps will be fewer mature cattle
from ths northwest, but this will be
more than offset by larger receipts of
cattle from the Teaxs and southwest
country. The prospect for a very
large corn crop and an abundance
of rough feed of all kinds practical
ly assures a strong healthy market
for both beef cattle and stocker and
feeder eattle for the remainder of the
year.
Hoc Receipt* Heavy.
Hog receipt* no far this year have
broken all records, as Indicated by the
increase of nearly half a mlllior^head
aa compared with 1922. There has
been a gain of fully 35 per cent In
euppllea of porkers, this Increase be
ing forecast nearly a year ago by
th* large number of aowa bred
throughout the corn belt In order to
take car* of th* enormous crop of
corn.
Under the circumstance* It has
been really surprlalng that price*
have held up aa well aa they have.
With practically no foreign demand
for pork products, packers, large and
amall, were compelled to depend al
moat entirely on local consumption
for a market for their product,' This
home consumption was enormoua,
owing to the fact that labor was
very generally and profitably employed
and the country was getting a
demonstration of the tremendous Im
portance of the home market for meat
products, WTlth the opening of the
year, hogs ruled about 50 rents low
er than In January. 1922, while with
the close of this month prices are
right around $3.50 lower than a year
ago.
Top Hog Price#.
The following table shows th* top
hog prices paid each month so far In
1923, as compared with top prices
fur the corresponding months of 1922!
1*21 1222
January . • *-JJ *’ ’2
February . 1"7»
, March . « in »o
Anrll . 2 10 mr.»
May . T *0 10.2II
June . 7 n* '0 21
In view of the high and advancing
price of corn, hog prlcea have been
very discouraging for some time and
when the low spot In the market was
reached two or three weeks ago, there
was an Immediate tendency on th*
part of hog growers to *hut olT re
ceipts until a more favorable time.
T,apgely for this reason there has
been a reaction In th# trade and part
of th# recent heavy decline In prlcea
ha* been recovered, giving rise to
th# hop* that with more moderate re
ceipts from now on the losses sus
tained by grower# may he, In a meas
ure, recovered.
Big Increaee In Sheep.
fn no branch of the tr^e has the
New Shop Opened by Hess and Swoboda
Hess and Swoboda, florists, who
have opened a new shop at 1805
Farnam street, have been in busi
ness In Omaha since 1888.
In that year they erected three
erreenhouses at 6807 North Twenty
fourth street, and opened a retail
store In the old Boyd theater build
lng where the Nebraska Clothing
company now stand*. The theater
burned down In October, 1903, and
the store was moved Into the Paxton
hotel building.
The company built more green
houses as the business grew, and
is now operating 100,000 square feet
of space under glass, growing choice
flowers and potted plants.
Hess and gwoboda first brought
the orchid to Nebraska, Importing
plants from Brazil. Importation of
orchids is growing less and less, due
to governmental restriction.
The new shop Is a model sales
room.
Omaha market shown to better ad
vantage this year than In sheep and
lambs. With an Increase during the
last six months of nearly 800,000
head, the Omaha market has nar
rowed the gap between It and Chi
cago very materially. For many
year* Chicago has depended to a
large extent for Its spring supplies
of fed lambs on nearby feeding sta
tions. Omaha Is now equipped with
a number of these stations and, as a
consequence, nearly 500,000 sheep
and lambs were fed during the last
six months within a radius of 50
miles of this city.
In point of price, the sheep and
lambs have sold rather unevenly, but
generally to better advantage, as far
as growers were concerned, than dur
ing the first six months of 1922. Fat
lambs now constitute nearly 90 per
cent of the total market receipts and
consequently the fluctuations In the
market for fat lambs Indicate quite
accurately the fluctuations In the
market for other classes of mutton
and the figures In the table below
Indicate the top prices paid for fat
Iambs each month so far this year,
as compared with prices paid during
the first elx month* of 1922.
lilt tilt
January .. •}* •** t}!*®
Anrll ... 14.65 14 00
M*v ..... 17.00 14.50
Juno .. 16 35 15,00
Growth In FewHng Project*.
The enormou* growth in local lamb
feeding projects ha* been on* of the
beet feature* of th* market a* far
as Its Influence on local business Is
concerned. These feeding stations,
located within a few mile* of Omaha,
require a large amount of feed of all
kind* every year and In addition to
tha output of mutton for the local
market, thousands of pounds of wool
are sheared and sold every year.
On the whole, th* last six months
ha* been a period of *atlsfactory
progress for the Omaha livestock
market and a period of satisfactory
return* for cattl* *nd sheep feeders
In territory tributary to this point.
Th* hog grower* have not fared so
well, thl* being due largely to the
high price of corn. At the same time
the amount of corn that has been
marketed already through th* feed
lot ha* been the biggest factor In ad
vanclng th* price of that cereal.
Chamber Back of
Irrigation Plan
Omaha Men Interested in
Scheme to Reclaim \ net
Area of Farm Land.
Encouragement for the realization
of the aims of the Central Nebraska
Supplemental Water association Is
one of the activities tn which eome
members of the Omaha Chamber of
Commerce are now engaged. This
project. If put through, will harness
the flood waters of the Platte river
and through a process of saturation
and a series of main and lateral Irri
gation ditches, will supply water to
thousands of acre* of seml-artd land
and make them as fertile as any land
In Nebraska. It will add millions to
the wealth of the state.
For the past several months mem
l>ers of the agricultural committee
and the Industrial committee, headed
by Carl R. Oray, president of the
Union Pacific railroad, and John L.
Kennedy, chairman of the Industrial
bureau, have been Interested In thla
project. They have visited the project
and have had as visitors to commit
tee meetings the men who are direct
ing the association with a view of
gathering Arst hand knowledge.
At the winter meeting of the Farm
Bureau federation at Chicago John It.
Kennedy, president of th* United
States National bank, and P. P.
Hogan, president of the Federal Land
bank, who represented the chamber.
Invited W. H. Davis, assistant secre
tary of the Interior and A. P. Davts,
director of the reclamation service to
visit Omaha on their western tour of
inspection of Irrigation projects.
These official* have been In the
west and northwest for several week*
visiting these projects. They spent
two day* In central Nebraska going
over the project there. Messrs Gray.
Hogan and Oeorge W. Holdrege, for
mer general manager of th* Burling
tlon; John L. Kennedy, President
Walter W. Head and other member*
of the Agriculture bureau accom
panied the party.
The offhlal# were entertained at a
public affairs luncheon at the Oma
ha t'hamher fit Commerce Mi»y 81, at
which time they described the work
being carried on by the department of
the Interior and ezpressed themselves
favorably on th# Nebraska Irrigation
projects.
Omaha Realtors Seek Cut
in Public Expenditures
Elimination of All Needless Expense and Develop
ment of Boulevard System Two Policies to
Which Real Estate Board Definitely
Committed.
By LEO BOZELI*
Secretary. Omaha Heal Katatc Board.
The Omaha Heal Estate board's ac
tivities on taxation and public Im
provements in the last two years
have definitely committed the board
to these two policies:
1. The elimination of every un
necessary arul nonessentlal expendi
ture of public money and an effort
to reduce public expenditures Instead
of to Increase them.
2. The paving of every boule
vard in Omaha, and subsequent
connecting of all of each of these
boulevards with the entire city.
In the matter of public expendi
tures, the board, through the efforts
of Its taxation committee, haa learned
that for years past there has been
a constant Increase, not only In
assessments and property values, but
also In tax levies. All realtors realize
that when the city grows, the as
sessed value also grows. They want
that situation to continue, but they
believe the valuation Increase should
be sufficient to take care of any In
creases In the coat of government
that will come as a result of city
growth.
Permanent Institution.
Officers of the board have decided
to make a permanent Institution of
the Real Estate board's tax bureau
and have charged that bureau with
the duty of looking Into the In
vestigating every proposed new ex
penditure of public money, as well
ns the old and customary places that
this money is spe'nt.
The aggregate amount of auto
mobile license money paid hy motor
car owners In Omaha has reached
such a large proportion—nearly half
a million dollars—that the Real
Estate board has decided that |t Is
absolutely unfair and Inequitable to
continue to spend all of this money
outside the limits of the cltv of
Omaha,
The realtor* see In this fund a
possibility of having every boule
vard In Omaha paved and they In
tend to continue their efforts until
this Is brought about.
Bill Killed.
A very large portion of boulevard
mileage in Omaha Is along property
that cannot pay for paving boule
vards and drives that are unofl by
all motor rar owners In the city.
It is generally conceded that no
city In the country has finer pos
sibilities for a good boulevard system
than* Omaha. Visitors to the city
make this statement, and then they
Inquire why the boulevards are not
paved.
The Real Estate hoard made
a strong effort to get a bill
through the last legislature for using
half of the Douglas county automo
bile license to pave Omaha's boule
vards. The bill passed the senate al
most unanimously, and was voted for
by all Dougina county senator*. In
the house of representatives, how
ever, the measure was killed, In spite
of the strong fight made In its favor
by A. W. Elaasser, E. A. Smith and
other Omaha repreaentatlves. Oeorge
Dyball of Omaha led the tight agalnat
the hill. He was auported by Thomas
Dysart. Supporter* of the bill, how
ever, believe that It win go through
the next session of th* state legisla
ture.
Value of Co-Operation.
Member* of the Omaha Real Estate
board believe there la no other organ
ization which demonstrate* ao well
the value of co-operation In bualneta.
It la a known fact that competitors
In huelneea, If they do nothing elae
except compete, uaually have a bad
oplnlod of each other, and generally
do not healtate to axpreaa these opin
ion* to anyons with whom they com*
In contact.
Before th* Omaha Real Estate
board became an active nnd function
Ing organisation, real estate dealer*
and broker* scarcely knew their com
petitors, and did not have any co
operative dealings with them except
Ing In rare and unusual cases.
Many of the dealers and brokera
did not heallat* to make dlncredltahle
statements nhout their competitors.
Thee* statement* were relald on to
other people, with the result that the
general public very often believed to
be true the thing* which these com
petltors said about each other.
One of Oldest Board*.
Through the medium of the Real
estate board, to which the leading
dealers and brokers belong, these
competitors are now well acquainted
personally with each other, and have
arrangements whereby the/ cooper
ate In practically every real estate
deal or transaction.
They have learned that thla co
operation Is beneficial both to them
and to their customer; they also have
learned that generally themselves,
their customers and their competi
tors all "lose out" unless the broad
est kind of co operation Is practiced.
Leading real estate dealer* and
brokers throughout the country are
now organized and are co-operating
under arrangements similar to thoae
that govern the Omaha Real Estate
board.
The Omaha Real Estate board la
one of the oldest boards In the United
States. It was organized In 1887 and
the first president was the late Alvin
Saunders, at one time territorial gov
ernor of Nebraska and father of
Senator Charles L. Saunders, who
now holds the Saunders membership
In ths board.
Rail Heads Sav
J
Charges Cut at
Owners’ Expense
Roads Failed to Earn ‘‘Fair
Return” in Last Three
Year*, Executives’ As
sociation Asserts.
The public's transportation bill for
freight and passenger charges for the
years 1920, 1921 and 1922 was reduced
substantially 12.000,000,000 at the ex
pense of a fair return to railroad
owners on their property devoted to
publlo use, says a statement of the
Association of Railway Executives,
entitled, "Three Tears of Railroad
Operation 1’nder the Transportation
Act." In no one of the three years
did the roads earn the amount which
the transportation act contemplated
as a fair return. This return was spe
cified at 6 per cent for 1920 and 1921,
anil 6 S 4 per cent for 1922, and was
based on a tentative valuation for
rate making purpose* of 115,900,00(1,
000. In 1920 the railroads earned 0.1
of 1 per cent on such valuation; In
1921, 3.29 per cent, and In 1922, 4 09
per cent. Had there been a definite
guarantee by the government of a
specific return, the government would
owe the railroads 11,984,563,747.
Decreases In freight rate* have tak
en place a* follows* On August 16.
1921, affecting livestock; on October
22. 1921, on wheat, hay and grain
products, and on December 2, 1921,
on agricultural product*. On Janu
ary 20, 1922, the rates were reduced
on hardwrood lumber and forest prod
uct* from 14 producing states to ter
ritory north of the Ohio river. On
May- 24, 1922, a general 10 per cent
reduction of all freight rates, with
the exception of those already re
duced was ordered, to become effec
tive July 1.
Expenditure* for equipment »nd
other facilities during 1923 approx!
mate 11,100,000,000, saye the state
ment. There were on order on March
15, 1923, 3.118 locomotive* and 106,
336 freight car*, "probably a great
er number of car* on order at (hi*
time of year than ever before In the
history of the roads."
The record of the movement of traf
flc from July 1, 1922, to March 31.
928, shows that the railroads him
died the greatest number of carload*
of freight ever transported during
any corresponding period In the his
tory of the country, despite the han
(Heaps of the coal and railway shop
men's strike*.
Railway taxes trebled In the last
10 year*, anya the statement, which
seta forth that whereas pervious to
federal operation, the total taxes
amouned to from 16 to 20 per cent
of the net railway operating Income,
In 1922 the total taxea equaled nearly
40 per rent. In 1922 the taxes for the
roads earning mofe than a million
dollars a year was 1300,620,OflO.
Definite Plan Followed
in Advertising Omaha
What, to Whom, and How Should City Advertise, Are
Three Questions Solved to Get Publicity
on Business Basis.
By MONTAGU TANCOCK.
Manager of Bureau of Publicity,
Omaha Chamber of Commerce.
Omaha, as a city, advertise* with
as definite an advertising plan as
that of any progreseive business con
cern.
Every advertiser knows that spo
radic advertising Is of negative value
and that continuity and definiteness
of purpose are essential to the suc
cess of an advertising campaign.
Experienced advertising men often
fail to grasp the Importance of this
fact as applied to community adver
tising, and many who would laugh
at a vaguely defined company adver
tising campaign quite seriously be
lieve In aimless community "boost
ing."
In Its effort to get down to a busi
ness basis Omaha analyzes Its adver
tising problem somewhat like this:
1. What has the city to adver
tise?
2. To whom should the city
advertise?
3. How should the city adver
tise?
• In deciding what Omaha has to
advertise, generalities are avoided. A
city has an Identity Just as a busi
ness concern has. and to advertise
effectively It must emphasize not the
many general advantages common to
all cities, but the few outstanding
selling points.
Itlcli Trade Territory.
Omaha's business growth la due to
the rich territory surrounding th3
city. Freight and passenger rates,
train schedules, automoblls highways
and trade connections show a defi
nitely mapped trade territory which
Omaha dominates In competition with
other cities on the majority of mar
ketable articles.
This territory has been Investi
gated. Its potential buying power
weighed and its relation to Omaha
business established. ,
Omaha is pre-eminently an indus
trial city—a railroad center—a city
of home owners—with splendid record
of past development and high hopes
for the future.
This answers the question. "What
has the city to advertise?’’
“To whom should the city adver
tise?" Is simplified by the solution
of the first question. As Omaba
dominates a superlatively rich trade
territory which is largely responsible
for the development of the city and
which holds out hope; of brilliant fu
ture development, it follows logically
that Omaha advertising should (1( tell
the business world about the advant
ages Omaha offers in doing business
with that trade territory, and (2) con
vince the inhabitants of the trade
territory that Omaha is their logical
market.
Three < lasses.
Finally, "How should the city ad
vertlse?" The answer to this ques
lion falls Into three classifications:
(11 publication advertising, (2) direct
by mail advertising and (.1) good will
I building.
I Publication advertising is divided
into two groups: (1) trade territory
advertising and (2) national advertis
ing. Investigation shows that about
50 metropolitan and country news
papers adequately cover the nine
states of the Immediate trade terri
tory. About 1,300 insertions are
placed annually on regular schedule
in these papers. The ads deal spe
cifically with Important market ad
vantages which Omaha offers to resi
dents of the trade territory. They
point out the many buyers who bid
on the livestock market and the ad
vantages of dealing wtih Omaha Job
bers, manufacturers and retailers.
They lay special emphasis upon rail 1
way faculties and other points of ad
vantage which Omaha offers to resi
dents of the trade territory.
In addition to this regular trade
territory advertising, special trade
stimulating campaigns are put on oc
casionally through trade Journals
aimed to reach particular merchants.
Experiments Necessary, ,
Some experimenting Is necessary to
determine the t«st mediums for na
tional advertising. This advertising
aims to attract new industries to
Omaha and to bring new distributing
houses here. The copy state* briefly
some of the outstanding features of
Omaha's industrial life and Invites
requests for specific Information.
These ads are backed up by carefully
compiled reports and no statement
Is made which cannot be verified.
Each year the publicity bureau
writes several thousand sales man
agers, manufacturers and selected
prospects giving Information of value
to those contemplating opening new
distributing offices or factories.
Several special direct by mail cam
paigns aimed to bring certain specific
industries have been launched.
Good will building suggests a maze
of generalities and is, in fact, a class
fication covering many activities.
Omaha Is said to be the city which
originated trade extension trips.
Each year about 100 Omaha business
men, representing nearly as many
different concerns, leave the city by
special train to tour a particular part
of the trade territory. A similar trip
is staged each year by automobile.
It Is aimed in the course of time to
keep covering the entire ^rade terri
tory in this way. The trips last about
a week each. Passengers of the spe
ckil train this year recorded 61,000
ttbsinesB calls during the six days.
Merchant Market Weeks.
Omaha's Merchant Market weeks
are well known. Merchants from a
dozen states congregate here for six
days each spring and each fall and
are the guests of the manufacturers,
wholesalers and jobbers. Barbecues,
garden parties and other entertain
ments are put on for them. Dinners
are served by local concerns and
during the whole week attractive
trade displays are made throughout
the city.
Each year the city entertains the
editors of the immediately adjoining
state*. This ha* done much to gain
a mutual understanding between
Omaha and a large part of fW trade!
territory Old prejudices have b*er^
wiped out and a mutual regard hiy»,
resulted, which has done much to
strengthen the spirit of co-operatton
between Omaha and the smaller busi
ness centers.
Building for the future. Omaha en
tertain* students, of the state univer
sity and school children from various ,
towns In the trade territory. Tripe!
are arranged through the packing)
houses, wholesale concerns and fac
tories. and It 1* impressed upon all
who come that they play an impor
tant part in the development of the
city.
The handling of conventions, wel
coming of those who pass through
by automobile and train and a con
tinuous flow of news stories are other
activities aimed to build good will.
Civic Pride Stimulated.
Omaha is advertised to its own
citizens through advertisement in the
street cars and on sign boards. These
ads tell fact* about the city that
might otherwise |<a.*s unknown to
many people and they play their part
in stimulating civic pride In encour
aging Omaha people to talk about
Omaha.
The Omaha "guest cards" which
have now become an Omaha institu
tion permitting out-of-town people to
“park as long as they please while
in Omaha" have done much not only
to encourage people to come to
Omaha but to assure their complet
ing the purchases they come for. The
publicity bureau has received many
letters from out of tba city express
ing appreciation of thjs privilege.
Distribution of frmaha literature
among tourists as is being done
through the courtesy of the auto
mobile club and on the street railway
bridge \,y the. street railway company
are other ramifications of the greet
activity summed up in the words—
advertising Omaha.
Mexican J-abor Influx.
Gary. Ind., June 20.—Mexicans by”
the hundreds are being brought to
the Calumet industrial district to work
In the large steel mills and other
plants. It Is reported. At least IOCi
have been brought recently.
migration restrictions limit the Influx
of European*.
SVsye \jd\Vt\o\ifc
gv ObetiC
SKocG^wcm}
tooo&wftxxv 6
A u\ 6vv Se/c \> & 'ioxx .
__ 'N
Hr HE thought of service has from the very
beginning of the Herzberg store been
foremost in every transaction and necessarily
foremost in the plans of each successive ex
pansion, and, as the work of enlargement
now in progress advances, the plans of estab
lishing facilities and policies that point to
ward better service are daily" being analyzed
and adopted.
It is interesting to note that less than two
years ago we opened the beautiful five-story
building which we believed would serve our M
needs for many years to come, but in less ■
than twelve months’ time the necessity for J
more space became very evident, and the
decision to add two more floors was Dut into
motion that Herzhergs’ "Service to the Cus
tomer” would not be impaired.
Embodied in the Herzberg Idea of Sendee
you’ll find a painstaking, thoughtful, cour
teous staff of salespeople, a willingness to
cheerfully rectify your every claim of dissat
isfaction, a policy which permits only
merchandise of unquestioned quality and
style to identify itself with the Herzberg
stock. And suppo ting all these is a policy of
pricing which requires no defence.
If you are not one of the
thousands of women who
through past experiences have
learned to consider this store
as "Your Store," we invite you
to join them.
1
I i'ith the completion of the
work of expansion, Omaha
women will have for their shop
ping headquarters one of
America's finest appointed and
largest apparel stores.
*—:—7 *