Idaho Springs siftings., 1905-03-18
COMMISSIONERS okRFigLD's RE
PORT ON BEEF INDUSTRY.

The report OF Commissioner Gar.
field on the beef industry has al last
been published. II must be some
what Of surprise to those who have
been indulsing In Wholesale adverse
criticlsm upon the methods Of the
Chicago packers. as u discioses facts
and figures which clearly show that
the great feod producers have been
innocent Of the serious ofcnacs with
which they have been charged They
have been Tor long time accused by
new papers all over the country Of
eStortignate prices demanded. and OBJ
tanned. Of depression OF values OF cat
Ito az the various stockyards where
their business Is conducted. of euor.
nous profits wholly dispropurtionate
"a the capital employed. and, in gen
etal. uf 30 carrying on their business
that the public. under an organized
system Of spoliauon. we're being
robbed for their exclusive benefit.
We nnd nov. however. that not q
s'rElc one Of these charges has been
sustained but. on the contrary that
rigid and searching investigator. Of
ncially made. has resulted in com
plete acquitial
instead OF extortion II is shown that
no industry can be found where SO
narrow a margin OF profit prevails
the actual records and original en-
tries. 10 which the commissioner had
free access. showing that the high
est net profit any OF the packers
made ON their sales OF beef was two
and three-tenths per cent In 1902 and
tn Que lpstapre that the profit realized
in 1907 vas one and eight-tenths PER
cent.
Tf4a vrav#at4,..fz l.. a.. .,--rf-.. ,z-s,.,..
for cattle are exhaustively treated
aud no evidence Of any Kind was dis
covered. or even hiuted al. tending TO
show that values OF cattle are in the
slightest degree Improperly affected
or controlled by packers at any Of
the chief eenters Of the Industry.
On the whole. the report completely
disaipates the prevalent Idea that
great fortunes are being amassed by
Illegal and improper methods EN-.
pluyed by western packers. showing
that Notwithstanding the high prices
for beef prevailing In 1909 the bust
ness was less remunerative than in
years characterized by normal values
both for cattle and product lie says
that the year 1899. instead OF being
one OF cxoreitant profits. as has been
commonly supposed. WAS less profit
dbie thFu usual IN TACT. ulrinE me
months when the prices of beef were
the highest. some. at least. of the
leading packers were losing money
on every head Of cattle slaughtered.
II was not possible TO advance the
prices Of beef in full proportion to 'he
great advance in the prices OF cattle
at that time"
After all that has heen written re-
fecting upon the great business In.
teTcst engaged in the marketing and
distribution of the product OF one OF
the greatest Of our national indus
tries. II is gratifying 10 all fair minded
people that the prejudiced attacks
upon IL have failed OF verification:
ard the great western packers may be
Congratulated for having passed
through such a searching and thor
ough official investigation unsmirehed.
The results of this investigation.
based as 1t is upon exhaustive data,
officially obtained and verified by
United States government experts.
must be accepted without hesitation.
as the investigation was made under
circumstances that guaranteed com
plete accuracy with a possible dispo-
sition indeed. to arrive at entirely
different results.