Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-05-01
PACKER
. TALKS OF
BEEF
T.R. SAWTELL DECLARES THAT
THERE is NO TRUST AND
GIVES REASON FOR THE Po'
SITI0N THAT HE TAKES.

E1lRn OFFICES Will IGNuAAl pIdNNlSdAy as
at present for the next three months
These high prices are not unprecedent-
ed and are the result of natural causes"
This is what 7. r. Sawtell, the well
known local packer has to say about the
beef situation.
There is no trust or combination among
the packers" declares Mr.. Sawtell. IF
there were, there would be but one branch
house here instead of seven. Every pack
er on Alabama street has an expense of
from $50 to SO daily, and one house could
easily take care of all the business at
practically the same expense. To COM.
bine this business. the expense would be
reduced by from $50 to 500 day. NOn
the contrary. they are fighting one anoth-
er. II anybody is reaping the beneft of
high prices II is the farmer, and not the
packer or the retail butcher. 1 do not
believe a single packer has made dollar
in the last three months, and is not likely
to in the next three.
The packer is like the retail dealer.
have never run through a single spring
without losing money on beef, as II always
advances at this time of the year. and
the retail dealer cannot go up on his
prices like the packer can or the live
stock dealer. When meat goes down again,
the retail dealer evens things up"
Asked about the causes Of the prevail
ing high prices, Mr.. Sawtell enumerated
them briefly as follows: High price OF
corn, drouth in the west, severe winters
causing the death of thousands Of cattle
late wars, foreign demands for dressed
beef and live stock, increase In population,
decreased grass lands by reason Of settle
ments, a greater consumption OF beer ana
the demand for a better grade.
Prosperous times induce the eating Of
more beef" continued Mr.. Sawtell. With
IN the past few years Americans have
come to be the greatest consumers of beef
of any nation. Our people have beef now
three times a dav where formerly they
had IT once a week"
Mr.. sawtell then quoted a we'll known
provision magazine, which explains the
advanced prices as follows: THE. STOCK
raiser has increased his price of live cattle
at the stockyards nearly p per cent above
that Of a year ago. The packer has TO
pay the increased price. The packer is In
turn therefore compelled to increase his
price to the butcher. The butcher adds 1t
to the consumers bill. and there you have
the cause and effect Of present market
conditions"
weight for weight" continues this
magazine, 'the packer has paid 5000 'OoO
more ;or his i've stock this year than ne
did last"
Mr. sawtell declares that the one great
cause of the advance In market prices Is
the short corn crop. More corn means
cheaper corn, and cheaper corn means
cheaper beef.
"It IS interesting" said he, Ito observe
what a small part Georgia plays in these
market conditions. Some four years ago
I tried to see II could not get the farmers
OF Georgia to- raise more stock. import
ed some fine stock and did all 1 could TO
encourage local cattle raising. But the
Georgia farmers do not seem to apprect-
ate that the finest beef of these days Is
perfect beef. To get perfect beef takes
the investment OF much money and re-
duc,ng the Industry to an exact science
Georgia today produces less than per
cent Of the pork she uses. and less than
II Per cert OF the beef. She produces 2
Fer cent OF the mutton. 2 per, ceat of the
horses ard mules. and but 60 per cent OF
the butter. chickens and eggs. m
Market returns from Kansas City, the
headquarters of the beef market, show
that up to April % the years supply was
hundreds of thousands of head short.
In actual figures. according to these re-
turns the supply is short by the follow
ing figures: S6.752 cattle. 3oo.Ss6 hogs. 81 1888
sheep, $50 horses and mules.
Mr.. Sawteil SAYS that in his 10 years of
experience in the meat business on four
different occasions prices have run very
high. especially in 1882, which was the
highest year in the experience Of Ameri-
can business. During May and June Of
that year prices were even considerably In
excess of existing figures
81 am not taking up for the western
packer" concluded Mr.. Sawtell. 'for
have about as much love for him as he has
for me. I would like very much to see
him out Of the way. But II they were.
and Georgia had to depend upon her own
supply for beef, II would mean that, beef
would be selling at 40 cents a pound, and
II even 20 per cent as much beef were
used as is used now there would be many
families compelled to do without"
Mr. Sawtell added that he did not an
ticipate prices going higher to any ap-
probable degree.