Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-05-04
THE BEEF TRUST.
1t Undertakes to Explain Matters to
the Department OF Agriculture
sworn statement.

|
ment, made by E. j. Martyr, of the Chi
cago firm of Armour & Co., concerning
the profits and losses of that concerns
beef-slaughtering business for the pas
sixteen months, has been submitted tc
the Secretary of Agriculture.
Referring to the share that the dressed
beef business had had to stand in the
commercial hardships of the past two
years, Mr.. Martyr declares that during
1894 cattle were fairly plenty, and the
beef-slaughterers pushed the business to
the utmost, each trying to outvie the
other in the manufacture of dressed beef
and opening branch houses, until now
there is hardly town in the east capa.
BILE of consuming car load of beef per
week but which has two beef houses,
while the larger towns have from four to
six, where one-half the number would
easily care for the business.
At the eastern markets, which are the
principal outlets, the public were short
of both money and work, and dragged
the prices of beef down to the lowest
possible point, and as dressed beef can
not be held any more than fresh fish they
got it very cheaply.
At the first of the year it became ap-
parent that cattle were short, and beef
slaughterers we're obliged to put their
delivery houses on shorter rations. Cattle
and beef began to advance slowly, culmin-
ating in April, when live cattle we're on
an average $3.50 per hundred higher than
in January. Retailers got excited and
pushed their prices up, fearful that the
advance would continue and their next
supply cost them more money. This
caused consumption to fall off and i'm
mediately dressed beef and cattle broke
sharply during the second week in April.
One thing the people could not under
stand was why dressed beef should ad-
vance more rapidly than live cattle. The
reason for this is that the value OF the
hides, horns, and offal from steer cost
ing cents per hundred is applied to re-
duce the price of the dressed beef. If cat
tie advance a cent or two per hundred the
offal does not catch the advance. Arguing
further in this direction, Mr.. Martyr
quotes from the market report of Clay,
Robinson & Co., of April 81.
There is shortage on average weight
of cattle at Chicago for the period Of the
past week, as compared with the same
week of 1894, Of twenty pounds per head
and 10000 cattle in number, equal to a
decreased supply of 13,400,000 pounds or
100000 pounds per day. At Omaha the
decrease is even greater. The fonr prin-
cipal cattle markets show good decrease
since January of practically 100000
hood ~ oOO 0O0 mn v>oupds frnp, tho ro-
ceipts of the corresponding period Of
1894. Armour & Co. would be very glad to
slaughter the cattle OF any eastern or
other butcher for compensation of 81
per head, paying full prices for the hides,
tallow and offal, and continue the busi-
ness as long as the other party desired.
Inclosed in the document presented by
Mr.. Martyr to Secretary Morton is an
abstract from the books of Armour &
Co., showing results on 421, ,720 cattle
slaughtered and marketed in the year
ended November 3, 1894, of an average
loss per head Of II 4-1O cents. This in
cluded tabular memoranda, showing,
Live cattle, 421,720, weighing 479,917,-
$50 pounds, which, together with salaries,
labor, fuel, refrigeration, &C., present a
total value of $1S,083, ,025.70. A counter
statement giving the credit with deduc-
tion of all expenses, including bad debts,
&C., show loss of $73, 3,230.45, or as above
stated, II 4-1O cents per head. A similar
showing on 54,344 cattle slaughtered and
marketed during November and Decem-
ber, 1894, exhibits loss per head of
16 ITO cents, while better figures ars
given on 56,94S cattle slaughtered and
marketed during January and February,
1895, in which gain per head of 45.18 is
recorded, with one of 81 cents per head
on 1882 cattle slaughtered during the
period of February 25 to April 20.