Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-16


talent? Are not rich men. after all, born,
rather than made?''
Yes, l think that they are replied Mr.
Armour. The power of making and ac-
cumulating money and of handling large
dHairS are Is much natural gifts as are
th"se OIL a singer or an artist. Thrift and
business habits aid in the utilization and
development of the powers The germs of
the power must be in the man. Take for
instance. the people we have working for lis
can get millions of good bookkeepers or
accountants, but not more than five men
IN a hundred of all those | have EMPLOYED
nave been great successes as organizers and
traders.
Wages and Protective Tariff
How about wages Will they not from
now on be on the Geclnec" 1 asked
Il don't think that wages have fallen to
any extent" replied Mr.. Armour Wages
are to a large extent dependent upon Ger
tam oonIlt!onc. They are subject to the
tunes They cannot be increased when
times are hard. AMI they cannot rise above
the level Of their possibilities. In order for
them to hold their own and to 10 upward
We must hive protective tariff This is
believe. the true finaT Cial policy of tho.
United States. As to the increased taxa
tion through the tariff the advance that
the iaboring man pays for what he uses is a
baSatelle as compared with the extra mon
amount to l per cent. | believe We can
learn coed deal from the condition and
actions of the people of ErrCSe Take
France, she is the thrift.est and richest of
ell the FL ropea1 nations. Does she have
free trade? No. And Why not? Because,
she want; the FrenchTlan to get good
wages, and rot the English and the Ger
mars. We don't care to help the European
workman. Busine 80 and charity both be-
gin at hone. l believe in legislation for
America and not for Europe. / believe in
high wages, ard high wages for Amer-
cans"
The big Butcher vs.. the Little Ones.
"How about mcnopolies in business, Mr..
Armour? Are not the morCpolies which
you and others have injurious to the peo-
ple?"
Il think not" was the reply. Il think
that the great department stores and es-
tablisnments. such as those of Armour &
Co. are for the good of the people. 1t is a
question OF the greatest good to the great
est number. Why Should thu people pay
high prices for the privilege of Keeping any
small class of men at work? We can give
better and cheaper meat to the people than
they can get anywhere else. The small
butchers cannot understand how we do it.
They appoa to Congress. and they say that
there is beef combine and pork COM
bine. You ask them how they know it and
they will ,tpy:
Know it? WY. of course we know it.
Phil Armour is in it. Why. he drove me
ont of business.
And how you ask old he drive Won
out of buSnC: So And the man invariably
replies: Why. he sold meat cheaper than l
coull.' This is the same story you hear
everywhere. Now. l want to know il this
is not for the good of the people, and, If
so, why should it not exist"
They Save All the Hog but the Suucal
But do you sell meat cheaper and how
do you do it," 1 asked.
Il will tell you," replied Mr.. Armour.
when the ordinary butcher kills his ami
mails a great part Of the COW or hog goes
to waste. In the packing houses every bit
of the animal is saved 1t is facetousy
said that We save every bit of the hog ex-
cept his squeal. There are a number of
different works connected with the packing
houses. Take. for instance, our glue works
We use In them every year waste materials
which to the ordinary butcher would not
lie worth $4,000. We mix the waste with
brains and by scientific MANIPULATE care
and labor we put it through certain pro-
ceSSeS by which we turn the $4,000 worth
of stuff into products which we can sell
for a million. We send homes by the shin
load across the Pacific. The Japanese buy
them AID make buttons and carved work
out of them. Why. some of our bones
bring as much as $50 ton. 1t is so with
every atom of the animal. Our profits
come out Of the waste. and it is from these
profits that We afford to sell better
and cheaper meat than the ordinary butch
er. We have at the same time such a
large business that we cannot afford to
sell a poor article, and while the people
get cheaper meat they at the same time
get better meat.
1t is the Survival of the Fittcst,
Il suppose that is true. Mr. Armour"
said l. But what are the poorer butchers
to do? Chicago man said to me yester-
day that you and Pullman and the depart
ment stores were driving the small fry off
the earth"
Il don't think that is true" was the re-
ply. This is mighty big world and there
are plenty of other openings for brains
and muscle. AS to the small fry you
must remember that business Is not mis-
sion work. 1t is now and always has been
question of the survival of the fittest.
AS for us. we don't claim to do business
for charity. All we are trying to do is
to give sixteen ounces to the pound and
100 cents on the dollar"
How about the times. are they going
to be better?
Il think that the times will steadily i'm
prove from now on. l believe that we are
at last on the up grade and that we will
stay there" FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Tfmcsa Chnnrcs