The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-30
Figures Submitted by Armour & CO..
Intended to show There Is No
Money I'm the Packing Business.
MIR. MARTYN'S STATEMENT
HE SAYS THE MARKET is NOT CON-
TROLLED BY WHOLESALERS.
Only Best Cuts OF Beef Advanced In
Price-Tarfn Rulinss-Many Income
Tax Returns Not Yet Filed.

WASHINGTON. April ce.--Mr. r. ]. Mar
tyn, or Armour & Co., Chicago, to-day sub
mitted to the Secretary of Agriculture 4
sworn statement of the profits and losses
of Armour & Co.'S beef slaughtering bus
mess for the past sixteen months. 1t con-
sists of four exhibits. The first shows tho
results on 421 TO cattle slaughtered ana
marketed during the year ending Nov. 8.
1894. The live weight was 479. 800 POUNDS
dressed. 264.ls,44o; average cost, $3Sl per
hundred pounds: total cost, $732o,0s. ro
this is added cost OF labor. salaries, etc.
s7SS.010. The receipts from the ofraI. fat
and hides arc deducted, and, after taking
out 10 per cent. for depreciation ana $ss,oco
for bad debts, the loss is given for the year
as 3,230, or an average loss per head OF
II 40 cents.
The second exhibit shows the results on
64.3A cattle during November and Deem
ber. 1894. The weight Of these was: Live.
59,77S, 400 pounds; dressed, 80, ,769 4S2; average
cost. $3.50; total cost. S21S7, $50. Labor. SAL
aries. etc.. are placed at $95.102 Against
this is credited SAG. .am for offai, fat. hides.
etc. The total loss is placed at s9.1ls, or =
loss per head of 16 7-10 cents.
The third abstract gives the results on
56.948 cattle slaughtered and marketed dur
ing January and February Of the present
y
pounds; dressed. 34.S96.592 pounds; average
cost. 1898; total cost, with labor, salaries.
etc., $2.56s, 235. The receipts from cheek
meats. hearts, ETC., tallow and hides. ara
deducted. and the net gain was $257e6, or
1918 cents per head. The depreciation and
bad debts are estimated on the basis OF
those for 1894.
The last abstract shows the results on
44.3o2 cattle slaughtered and marketed dur
Ing the period from Feb 25 to April 20
last. Their live weight was 1888 ,052 pounds;
dressed, 27,09s,072 pounds; average cost
A.65; total cost, including labor. ETC., ST.
34S.2S3. Deductions are made on account Of
the sale of cheek meats. hearts and livers
tallow and hides and the beef was sold
head. -.
Speaking of this statement, Mr.. Martyr
tes know tsaf ting Is peor ne but all par
mas mad TO stand more than its share or
commercial hardships the past two years.
During 1884 cattle were fairly plentiful and
the beef slaughterers pushed the business
to the utmost, each trying TO outyie the
and the opening of branch houses. 'e At THE the
Eastern markets, which are the principal
outlets. the people We're short of both money
and work. and dragged the prices of dressed
beef down to the lowest possible point and a :
dressed beef cannot be held any more than
first of the year it sbecame apparent that
cattle were short and beef slaughterers
were, obliged to put their delivery houses
on shorter commons. Cattle and beef be-
gan to advance slowly, eliminating In April,
when live cattle were on an average OF
Retailers became excited and pushed their
prices up, fearful that the advance would
continue and their their next supply cost them
fall off and Immediately dressed beef and
cattle broke, sharply during the second
"One thing people could not understand
was why dressed beef should advance more
rapidly RAP y tbn than live cattle e Tn The for
and offal from a steer costing cents per
hundred is applied to reduce. the price Of
or two per hundred the offal does not catch
the advance. The horns. CUTS. blood, tall
low, s hides and fertiiizers sympatnzzes @ izs. only
piled to reduce the cost of a scent steer
is no more than in the case of Scent
steer. The same holds true with. the re-
tail butcher who buys a carcass OF dressed
beef. He can get no more for bis bones
iargely % in excess @ Of fI,e ioin and RIBS. than
he could when dressed beef was a cent
or two cheaper. consequently he advances
in the carcass and which the people who
can afford, will have, enough to save him
from loss @ While t the ts less f4rtqnase pr whose %
taste, pass by without buying IL the price
of coarser meats is relatively. advanced.
have or do manipulate or control prices Of
live cattle or dressed beef, is silly and
will not be credited by any person who
studies the question. Armour e. Co. own
by the advance in cattle. They buy in
competition with over one hundred others
who slaughter locally, or In the different
cities. or export their purchases. and Ar
mour g. Co: sell in competition with other
large slaughterers at Toledo, Cleveland,
Pittsburg. Detroit, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
New York Buffalo, etc., and also in COM
petition with nearly a dozen dressed beef
shippers. The true reason for this advance
in cattle is contained in the market re-
mort of Clay Robinson e, Co. of the 27fhe