The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-04-19
COMMISSIONER cAaslELD's REPORT
It is Found to Be Favorable to the Great
Packers. -

It is Found to Be Favorable to the Great
Packers.
The report of Commissioner Of Cor
porations Garfield on the beef indus
try, after about eight months inyes-
tigation in Chicago and elsewhere,
shows that there has been an enormous
amount of exaggeration in the state
ments that have appeared for some
time past in regard to the beef bust
ness. This investigation was set on
foot by a resolution Of the House Of
Representatives adopted, March z, 1904.
and the ascartained facts after a. most
rigid examination of the methods and
general conduct of the business are
contained in a report covering BOB
pages. Its figures and tables conclu-
sively show that the popular belief In
enormous profits made by the large
packers, such as Armour & Co., Swift
& Co. and Nelson Morris & Co., and
in the exclusive control of the bust
pess which many think they enjoy, is
really without foundation.
The report made to President Roose-
welt by Commissioned Garfield is real
~ the first official statement Of the ,ac-
tual conditions of the beef business
that has been made. and as all the con-
illusions arrived at are based, as shown
by him, upon data officially obtained.
there seems to be no reason why they
should not be regarded as reliable and
in all respects trustworthy
This report shows why the price OF
both cattle and beef advanced to the
highest level ever known after the
short corn crop Of 1901, and states that
because Of the decrease in humber OF
cattle and also in decreased weight.
"the high prices Of beef which caused
Sc much complaint among consumers
1t this time were attributable wholly
to these abnormal cattle prices
All the figures Of the live weight and
live cost Of all dressed beef cattle were
obtained from actual killing records,
and all information Of every kind OBJ
tanned by the Commissioner waswolun-
tarily and freely offered by the pack.
ers, all books Of record and papers
connected with the business having
been placed at his disposal.
To make certain that the results OF
the investigation should be absolutely
accurate. the Commissioner states that
a double method Of ascertaining profits
was adopted, and, without going into
detail here. it is found that the conclu-
sion arrived at shows m ayerage.proit
Of SO cents per head. The Commits
sioner says "the close paralle!ism In
the results of the two methods OF as
certaining the profits confirms conn.
pletely the correctness of the general
conclusions" It is clearly established
that western packers do not control.
more than half Of the beef supply OF
the United States" the conclusion OF
the Commissioner being that the bust
ness done by them amounts to Hab0ut
Is per cent" Of the total slaughter OF
the country.
The whole report is extremely inter
esting and we'll worthy OF careful Pc
rusal. As an official report it may be
regarded as worthy of confidence, and
1t certainly leads the reader to the
conclusion arrived at by the Commits.
sioner when he states that 'the capt.
~talization of none of these concerns is
excessive as compared with Its actual
Investment" and that from thorough
and rigid examination Of original ca,
tries in books and papers to which he
had access there was also indirect evi.
dence that the profits Of the packers
in their beef business are less than Ia
frequently supposed" as shown By
comparison between the total profits
and the total amount Of sales.