The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-06
CINCINNATI PORK.PACKING.
Colonel Sidney D. Maxwell's Annual
Report.

Colonel Sidney D. Maxwell to-day submitted
his annual report to the Pork packers Association.
The report commences as follows:
CINCINNATI, Oct. 9Th, 1879.
To the members of the Pork packers Association,
of Cincinnati:
reaches conclusion under circumstances widely
niterenl from any previous year since the panic OF
1875
Any doubts entertained early in the year by the
merchants and manufacturers of the country that
we were approaching solid ground. disappeared in
the presence of accomplished facts giving place to
a steadily increasing confidence and general i'm
provement in the business of the country.
IN the pork trade the benefits perhaps have not
been SO marked as in some other departments be-
cause the yellow fever again appearing In the
South in midsummer, seriously checked business
IN that direction, and the cearest indications of a
permanent change came after much of the pro-
vision you had passed and the main part of the
manufactured article had left the country or
gone into consumption.
But there have not been wanting unmistakable
evidences of permanently improved condition,
and The past week, as far as Cincinnati is con-
cerned, has been to the packers ones of fair re-
muneration.
The new provision year approaches under many
favorable circumstances. The shipments of the
hog product abroad have been without precedent;
the wants of the Old World, with the failure Of
| the crops. must be very great during the coming
year; the broad fields of the West have yielded the
husbaDdman rich return for his labor; new life
thrills through the whole industrial and CONNER
promise.
But business needs more than propelling power.
Inc brakes may be necessary to save it from the
consequences of its own momentum. The outlet
for our surplus is the world. The world wants
our products at moderate prices not at excessive
ones, and the cheaper we can furnish them, and
yet receive fair return for the capital and labor
employed, the better in the end it will be for all
classes.
1t is true that the general business activity does
not necessarily mean, at present, larger profits to
manufacturers; that The prices OF manufactured
articles IN many Instances follow the advance In
| raw materials with reluctance, and that in some
departments of production, slender as have been
the prohts OF the past, there has been little or nc
| increase in prices.
Though at the prices there has been increased
demand yet high priced raw materials sooner OF
later sWells the prices OF manufactured goods aIlG
this eventually impairs demand. II plain busi
ness propositions such as these could have theil
| due weight in directing the business movements
| in the new era on which we have entered, j
| would save the future from many business sor
row which will ensue should the fair winds which
now fill the sails of the business crafts of the coun
try swelE into gale OF speculation and inflated
values .
| The benefits OF the Cincinnati Southern Ra |
way to the provision interest of the city have beer
marked during the year, not in opening up the re
mote South TO our our manufactured product, bu
in materially increasing the receipts Of stock. A
large number OF hogs came over the road last win
ter, while there were liberal receipts Of both cat
tie and sheep during the past spring and summer
The connection now being made between Mel LeaI
avenue and the Cincinnati 4 Baltimore Railroad
by which stock will be transferred without charg
10 the United Railroads Stock-yards will add ma
terially to our facilities for transactng this bus
| ness. flsA a
The general facilities for handling live stoc
here are generally growing better; the desirabl,
ness OF this as market is increasing, and tn
number s,f persons who seek the city for supple
is erarsing. The business Of the United Raj
roads Stock-yards, according to the figures q
George Ledlie, ESQ, Assistant Secretary furnishe
elsewhere, shows material increase over 1S77-7S
and has been the largest in the history of tn
yards.
The receipts Of hogs aggregated 892,6S6 heat
compared with 793, 1863 in the previous year; O
CATTLE 15S, 500 compared with 1881 and OF sheep
32S,S97 compared with 274,o27. In hogs the in
crease has been about l21a per cent, cattle II pc
hogs cattle and sheep at these yards show all in
crease over lS77-7s of 1862 I'll head. The shipment
were as follows: 1899 hogs, 20S 406; cattle, 63
S2l; sheep, 244,152 lS77-7S: hogs, 175 103 cattle
81, ,902; sheep, POI, l03.
1t will thus be seen that there has been mate
rial increase in the shipments OF oil kinds O
stock and yet it is noticeable that the net receipt
| also have been mnch larger than in the preyiou
year. The average weight Of the hogs weghct
shows material falling off, having been 2427 7
Both cattle and sheep, however, have increased
i'll weight the former having averaged $50. 6
pounds in comparison with 974.3, and the latte
81. 80 pounds compared with 75.98 1t must be re
membered, too, that these figures do not embrac
our entire business in stocks. The Miami Stoc
Yards, Sinners Stock Yards and the Covingtol
Stock Yards, each makes liberal contribution t
the grand aggregate OF the stock business of tn
city.
4 committee appointed during the year to &C
in conjunction with the Provision Inspection
Committee OF the Cincinnati Chamber Of Com
merce with a view to the revision of the rules 10
the regulation of the provision trade of this it
has not made a report. The rules of the Chambe
lack definiteness in many particulars and coul
be improved. Ii revision occur the advantage q
making 1t early SO that the rev sed rules may g
into the annual report of the Chamber is appal
ent.
At meeting in February the attention of til
Association was called, by Maj. s. V, Reid, Assc
ciate Commissioner. to the desirableness of
| good exhibit of the hog product at the Sevent
Cincinnati Industrial Exposition, and VIM. Henr
Davis, Esq, was appointed the Representatives
this Association to cooperate with the officers il
| this effort.
An excellent and tasteful exhibit, though no
by the Association, has been made at the EXPOS
ton, now in eminently successful progress, but
is to he regretted that few packers saw fit to PAL
| ticipate in the display.
| The post year has been the only one in five l.
which there has been no death in the membershi
of the Association. In the hope that the approach
ing year may be equally favorable in all respec,
this report Is respectfully submitted.
| In behalf OF the Board of Directors.
SIDNEY D. MAXWELL, Secretary