The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-12-01
ARMOUR UNDER FIRE.



wer senator Vests Questions.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3O.-Senator Vests
COMMITTEES. which has been investigating the
dressed beef business. resumed the examine
ton of witnesses this morning. p. ID.
Armour, of Chicago the first witness, said
he had been in the beef business all his life.
The dressed beef business began to be inn
portent ten years ago. For two or three
year, u had not been remuneratiye; meth
ods had to be studied and the business
leaued. In 1881 OF 1882 il became paying
business. Prices are lower now, said the
with ss, than they were when we began the
dressed beef business. In range cattle the
decrease in prices, however, had not been SO
great as forty or fifty per cent. Armour
was asked TO what he attributed the decrease
in prices. He said that he had prepared
written statement which would give his
views.
WI Quinn, one of Armour's young
men," as he termed him, read a long state
ment which included the figures of the bust
ness for a term of years, and comparison
of prices at Chicago in 1888 and for lSs,.
The latter, il was asserted in the paper,
showed reduction in the prices of the
canned beef product Of Oper cent. In con-
clusion, the statement denied that Armour
a Co. were engaged in any combination
whatever To fix the price TO be paid for cat
tie or the price for which the product should
be sold.
An abstract was given of the dressed beef
business of Armour A Co. during 1888, the
year in which il was alleged the profits of
the business were immense and IN which
public agitation occurred, resulting in the
appointment of the committee conducting
the investigation. This abstract showed
that 3i0,6J0 head had been dressed. ON
which the net profit was S4ls, l05, an aver
age Of SLIP per head. Resuming his oral
testimony. Armour said that over produc-
tion and over marketing was responsible for
the decrease In prices.
Vest asked witness IL the Chicago market
did not control pricesr
II do not think So" was the answer. 1T
is the largest market and Of course infiu-
ences prices at other places. Chicago prices
regulate prices largely"
Senator Vest, reading from the annual
report of the Chicago stock yards for 1888,
| called the attention Of witness 20 the fact
0O0 cattle, which brought $lS3, GW,000, and
in 1888 2,Gll, 900 cattle sold for $ls2, 2,0OO.0O.
How do you account for thatY
| 1t is in accordance with my statement,
said Armour. The growth in the amount of
cattle marketed largely exceeded the growth
of the population.
In response 10 that. Vest presented a
statement showing the increase of cattle
and population ran along in about the same
proportion. The attention of witness was
directed to his statement that the placing OF
hides upon the free list had resulted IN a
large importation of them. Vest stated
that hides were placed ON the free list in
1872 while the table Of prices in the state.
ment begins with 1876.
Vest then discussed with witness the com.
bination of packers 10 fix the prices OF bet
ter cuts. and 10 prevent decline from over.
supply. Witness said this combination in
cluded other packers; they all made the
same prices.
"well, then, don't you destroy the opera
"No, sir: don't think We do"
| with whom do you fix these pricesf"
| THAT decline 10 state until after con
sulting my attorney" responded witness
| Armour admitted being member of the
hog packing pool of 1886, in Chicago. "We
| paid twenty-five cents a hog for the priv
lege of killing them. There was no limit to
the number We killed There were eighteen
firms and persons interested in the agree
ment."
Have you any agreement with any per.
sons aR to the prices that shall be charged
in certain districts2"
Absolutely none.'
"ls there any agreement as 10 the division
of territory
| Witness declined 10 answer.