The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1905-03-16
COMMISSIONER o~ARFiELo's re.
PORT ON BEEF INDUSTRY.

The report of Commissioner Gar
field on The beef industry has at last
been published. II must be some
what OF a surprise q those who have
been INDUCING IN wholesale adverse
criticism ueon the methods Of the
Chicago packers. AS q 6iaeloses facts
Rnd figures which Clearly show that
the great food producers have been
Innocent ~ the serious oHeuseR With
which they have been charged. They
have been Tor a long time accused by
newspapers al over the cCrntfy Of
eg~tortfonate prices demanded. ana oh
talncd. OF depression % valucs o. cat
tie 81 the various S~tockyard6 where
their business Us conducted. 81 enor
nous pronta wholly aiaproporti0nafs
70 the capital employed and. la gen
eraL % 80 carrying on their aufineaa
that the public. under an organized
system Of s%puliation. were being
rubbed for their exclusive benefit.
We nnd nov however. thar not a
single 81 these charges has been
sustained but, on the contrary. that
raid aud searching Investigation. OF
hclally made has resulted Ia ON.
plete aequitai
Instead OF eNtortina q Sc shown that
20 Industry can be- found where 40
narrow a margin OF pr0at prevails
the actual records and original en-.
trics. 10 which the commissioner had
free access. showing that the high.
est net profit aay Of The packers
made on their sales of beef waa two
and threetcaths yer cent Ga 1902 an6
iG one instance that the pront realized
In 1904 sea Que and eightgenths rer
cent.
The variations Ia tire market prices
Tor cattle are oxhAuatively treated
aud no evidence OF any kind Was dis
covered. OF even limited al tending TO
SHOW that values 81 cattle are IN the
sligntcat degree improperly affected
OF controlled BY packers 81 any Of
the chief ceaters % the Industry.
ON the whole. the report completely
dissipatea the prevalent idea that
great fortunes are being amRgscd BY
illegal and improper methods EN-.
pioyed b western packers. showing
that Notwithstanding the high prices
for beef prevailing Ia 1903 tho bust
mesa was lcRs rcmuncratiyc than IN
years characterized by normal values.
both FOR cattle and product He says
that the year 1908. instead 90 being
n % e1ofbltanl pronts. a. has been
commonly supposed. was less profit
able than usual Ia fact during tho
months when me prices of beet we're
the highest. some. az least. Of the
leading packers we're losing money
on every head Of cattle slaughtered.
II was not possible 10 advance the
prices Of beef m fall proportion "a the
great advance Ia the pdcna o. cattle
AZ that time
After ali hat has been written re-
aectiug upon the great business IN.
tcreat engaged la the marketing aud
distribution OF the product Of one az
the greatest % our national indus.
tries, q q gratifying 10 AL fair minded
people that the %pfeiudiced attacks
upon h have failed of v~erincation.
and the great western packers may be
congratulated for having passed
through such q searching and thor.
ough omcial Investigation unamirchod.
The results 81 this investigation,
based "a Il h upon exhaustive data.
officially obtained and verified By
United States goyernment experts.
must be- accepted without hesitation.
a. the Investigation was made under
circumstances that guaranteed com
plote accuracy with a possible dispo-
! gition indeed. 10 arrive a. entirely
/ different rpsuifa