Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-05
PACKING HOUSE BUSINESS
Some Figures Furnished by the Government
Census Bureau.
EXTENT OF INDUSTRY IN UNITED STATES
Huge Combine f. shown by h sta
t~istics, which Prove the Central
isation OF the Hog killing
During Late Years.

There has been a phenomenal growth In
the slaughtering and meat packing indus
tries OF the country, as shown by a bulle-
tin issued by the census once recently
says a Washington special in the Chicago
Tribune. The capital now invested in the
packing business is $1s9, 1873, 264, as com
pared with $3.4s2, 500 in 1850. the number OF
establishments at present being e2l' as
against 1856 fifty years ago.
The number OF wage earners increased
from 3.276 to 1884; the wages paid from
u.2s1,5ss to $685. 57, O1s: the cost OF materials
used from 50, 451, Oes. to s6sS,5s3,577, and
the value OF products from s11,9s1.642 to
1856, 562, 433. The average amount OF capi-
tai invested per establishment grew from
SIS, s24 in 1850 to $205,42 in 1900; the av-
erage yearly earnings Of the wage earners
grew from 1876 to Sass, and the average
value Of products per establishment rose
from s64,7e6 to $751;, s45. The growth was
steady.
While there Is a large increase in the
number Of establishments in existence In
1850 there are 1000 fewer today than there
were ten years ago, which is conclusive
proof that the enormous packing concerns
have absorbed a great many OF the smaller
ones.
Causes which contributed to the growth
of this industry are the settlement OF the
western country and the consequent ex-
pansion Of territory devoted to stock rails
ing; the extension of railroads and the in
creased facilities OF communication; the
methods devised TO insure preservation OF
meat. such as improved methods Of curing
and the introduction and Improvement OF
mechanical and chemical processes OF re-
frigeration, rendering summer packing pos
eible; the utilization Of every part Of the
--N-,.I ara Nha odAn4fOn ~ 1ahnT-c0UNnu
devices.
Cincinnati Once the Center.
During the ten years covered by the
eighth census taken in 1860, the center Of
the meat industry was at Cincinnati and
in the Ohio valley. The average amount Of
capital invested per establishment In
creased from $1s,s24 to 500, 221, or 1884 per
cent. while the average value Of products
per establishment increased from $64, 766 to
$113, 675, or 1876 per cent.
From that time concentration In definite
centers was a marked feature of the growth.
The effects Of the Industrial crisis of 1857,
with its Wholesale reduction Of wages, is
seen by the difference In the average yearly
wage paid In 1850 and 1860. In 1850 1t was
1916, which decreased to 1902 in 1860, a de-
crease Of 1853 per cent. The winter pack
ing in eight principal western centers grew
1TOm fHu,OUu nOkb III loOU 10 SJG,olU uOB5 III
1860.
During 1890 and 1900 Illinois led every
state in the union in the value Of the prod
ucts in the packing industry. In 1900 this
amounted to 1921, 1922, 277, as against s212,-
POI, 3s2 in 1890. The amount OF capital in
vested In Illinois In 1900 was $71, 229, 1852, as
against $40, S07, 115 in 1890. A table giving a
comparative urinary for 1880, 1890 and 1900
of those cities that in 1900 showed a pro-
duction to the value of 81, 900, 900 and over
shows that the product Of Chicago alone
reached a value Of 1856, 527, 949 in 1900, or
S2.7 per cent Of the total value for the
United States; in 1890 this ratio was 1873
per cent. a net loss during the decade Of
36 per cent.
Chicago's advance In value OF products
during these ten years was $685. 21, 547. or
20 per cent. The number of establishments
steadily decreased. falling from seventy In
1880 to hfty-seven in 1890 and thirty-eight
in 1900. Kansas City stood second in value
of products In 1900, gaining during the de-
cade $50, $685. or S4.S per cent. or the
total value Of products in the United
States Kansas City furnished o. per cent
in 1900 and IL per cent in 1890, a gain of
2.3 per cent.
Unfortunately the figures upon which to
base such a comparison for South Omaha
are not available. The industry had no ex-
istence In 1880 and the figures for 1890 were
not published separately. The total pro-
duction for the state OF Nebraska for 1890,
however. OF which South Omaha constituted
a part, was S2s.941 144, which was exceeded
in 1900 by S3s. 94S. COS by South Omaha alone.
south Omaha IL Important.
In 1900 South omaha produced SO per
cent Of the total value Of the product Of
the United States. In number of establish
ments Baltimore ranked first, with seventy
three establishments. followed by Phila-
delphia with ffty-eight and New York City
with hfty-two, while Chicago, with thirty
eight, stood fourth. In the order of capital
invested, wages paid and number of wage
earners the relative rank Of the cities fol-
lowed closely the same rank as under the
value of production. The widest varia-
tions occurred In the average amount Of
capital Invested and average value Of prod
uct per establishment in the different cities.
South Omaha had the largest average in
sestment, Of S2.6O9, $40 per establishment;
Kansas City's average capitalization per es-
ta~blishment was S1.sss. s25; Chicago's, ST.
76s.7sS; South st. Joseph with St. Joseph,
n,040,1S0. In the average value of prod
ucts per establishment South Omaha led,
with S11, 314. 96s; Kansas City had 50, 223,-
G1; Chicago. So, 100. 736, and South st. Jo-
seph. including st. Joseph. S. $40, 1896.
About 10000 hogs were killed at Chicago
in 1S50-b1, and from that time the amount
Of business done in Chicago increased rap
Idly. The early sos saw the beginning Of
railroad operations In the west. Naturally
this had a great influence on the packing
business and to this cause much Of Chi
eago's prominence as, packing center may
be traced.
Up to this time st. Louis was unimpor-