Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-01
ARMOUR TALKS BEEF.
he Denies Helping to Destroy the Law
Of Supply and Demand, but
ADMITS THERE is A COMBINATION
Of Packers to Keep Up the Prices Of the
Best Cuts Of Neat
THE BOYCOTT UPON BUTCHER scRwAB

WASHINGTON, November S0.-Senator
Vests committee which has been investigat-
ing the dressed beet business of the country
for some months resumed the examination
Of witnesses in the room of the Senate Com
mittee on Commerce this morning. There
were present of the committee Senators
Vest, Farwell, Manderson and Plum, and
s number of persons interested as wit
nesses or otherwise. Among them was Mr..
P. d. Armour, the Chicago beef and pork
packer He was accompanied by his
attorneys, Messrs. Campbell, Martin, Quinn
and Dudley.
Mr.. Armour was the first witness. His
business he said, was that of beef and
pork packer. He denied being in the cattle
business. The witness said he had been IN
the beef business all his life; the dressed
beef business began to be important about
ten years ago. He himself went into it
after one or two other firms had engaged in
it For two or three years it had not been
emunerative-methods had to be studied
and the business learned. In 1881 or 1882
it had become a paying business prices
are lower Dow," said the witness, "than
they were when we began the dressed beef
business. l cannot give the exact figures.
In range cattle the decrease in prices, how
ever, has not been so great as 40 or so per
cent"
Mr.. Armour said that overproduction
and overmarketing were responsible for the
decrease in prices.
CHICAGO FIXES PRICES.
Senator Vest questioned the witness as
to the standing of the Chicago market as
compared with others, asking if the Chicago
market did not control the prices.
II DO not think so, . was the answer sit
is the largest market, and of course infu-
ences the prices at other places. Chicago
prices regulate tine prices largely"
Senator Vest reading from the annual re-
port of the Chicago stockvards for 1888,
called the attention OF the witness to the tact
that in 1881 there were marketed there ], ,49S,-
600 cattle, which brought S1S2, 600, 600, and
in 1888 8, ,261, 900 cattle, sold Tor SIS, ,000-
600. "How do YOU account for that?" he
asked.
lit is in accordance with my statement"
said Mr.. Armour, ''the growth of the cattle
marketed largely exceeded the growth of
population"
In response to this, Senator Vest presented
q statement showing that the increase of
cattle and of population ran along in about
the same proportion.
Senator Vest then discussed with the wit
ness the combination of packers to fix the
prices of the bstter cuts so as to prevent a
decline from oversupply ruinous to the
dealers in these meats. The witness said
this combination included the other pack
ers, and that they all made the same prices.
''WelL, then, don't YOU destroy the opera
tions of the law of supply and demand?"
"No, sir; don't think we do"
with whom do you tx these prices?"
f'ThSt decline to state until after con-
sulring nv attorney" responded the wit
ness.
NOT AN EXPERT.
Senator Vest produced a statement from
Mr.. Armour's brother, who appeared be-
fore the committee at Kansas City. showing
that he lost S6 % on !, ,2O0-pound corn-fed
bullock that cost him S. IS per 100. "How